Interruptions as Opportunities

“Interruptions can be viewed as sources of irritation or opportunities for service, as moments lost or experience gained, as time wasted or horizons widened. They can annoy us or enrich us, get under our skin or give us a shot in the arm, monopolize our minutes or spice our schedules, depending on our attitude toward them.” William Arthur Ward

My husband and I had planned on a small Christmas this year with only a small portion of our geographically scattered family able to join us in Iowa. Our two sons and their families had arrived to Iowa from Denver and  Canada,  and my parents from WI were due to arrive soon. We had settled into the idea of a  quiet five-day Christmas with food, sleeping arrangements and activities for less than half the family.

Instead, however, we experienced a marvelous interruption of the calm time we had envisioned. The following day just hours before our traditional Christmas candle-light salmon supper, we discovered our two Michigan daughters  and their five young children knocking on our front door! After making a last minute decision to surprise us, they had driven eight hours to Des Moines to join the fun. Although initially shocked, we were absolutely delighted!

The quiet Christmas we had envisioned, quickly morphed into a bee-hive of activity with little people running and playing all over the house.  As we welcomed our new hosting circumstances, my husband and I had to quickly adjust to this new reality. We gathered all the pillows, mats, sleeping bags and blankets we could find to set up beds for everyone, and  made a few extra grocery store runs with the understanding that relaxing meals were probably not going to happen. Throughout the next few days, we found ourselves humbled and incredibly  blessed by the presence of our wonderful kids and grand-kids, and also my parents.

Not all interruptions are so easy to embrace!

• Computer problems
• Illness
• Flat tire
• Bad weather
• Friend in distress
• Traffic jam
• Delayed or canceled flight

Many  interruptions are less than welcome. Most of us find ourselves easily frustrated by unexpected events and circumstances. Interruptions challenge our well-laid plans and confront our illusion that we are in control of our time.

Henri Nouwen, in his book “Reaching Out”, wrote of a now-famous conversation which helped him think about interruptions as something other than a bother. He writes,

“While visiting the University of Notre Dame, where I had been a teacher for a few years, I met an older experienced professor who had spent most of his life there. And while we strolled over the beautiful campus, he said with a certain melancholy in his voice, “You know………my whole life I have been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted, until I discovered that my interruptions were my work”.

What if we saw interruptions as a gift? What if, instead of resisting them out of frustration, we saw them as opportunities to give and to receive something new?  What if we simply accept that we are not in control of all the events and circumstances of our lives? That how we RECEIVE each moment is what really matters?

How can you turn your next interruption into an opportunity?