Theme of the Week: Setting Family Rhythms
Bible Verse: “He pleaded earnestly with him, ‘My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.’ So Jesus went with him. . . . At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, ‘Who touched my clothes?’” Mark 5:23-24, 30
Scripture Reading: Mark 5:21-43
Orange signs, a double row of bright red lights ahead. Detours, delays. Frustrating. Especially when you have a timeline or are excited about reaching your destination. But they happen. Almost inevitably. Murphy and his laws might have something to do with it. Each might be proportionate to the other. The smaller the window to arrive, the more traffic you will encounter. The more excitement for the destination, the longer the construction detour.
Life’s little delays and detours are not always literal either. The unexpected phone call or email. The boss adding a small but important and time sensitive task . . . at the end of the day . . . on Friday . . . and could you finish that before the weekend? The school office phoning, your child has thrown-up and is waiting in the office for you to come get her.
How do we respond when our most carefully laid plans with the best of objectives and intentions get derailed by the unexpected? If you’re like me, the initial response is frustration that often leads to lashing out. The frustration that I can’t do what I intended to do overrides my self-control. And it’s all the more aggravating when my plans were good. They were healthy and good for my family. Frustration is often followed by disappointment. It’s never going to go the way I planned! Why bother?! And that’s compounded by guilt for being harsh with my boys.
Detours and delays just have a way of wrecking things.
Jesus got detoured a few times. When he was on the way to visit the sick daughter of a synagogue ruler, a desperate woman derailed the travel plan and the timeline. But, Jesus being Jesus, took the opportunity presented by the unexpected and used it. He taught the woman, Jairus (the synagogue ruler), and the whole crowd about the role of faith.
Distractions and detours don’t have to ruin our plans. If we can learn to see them as opportunities that we didn’t have before, they become moments to accomplish things in unexpected ways. In doing so, we avoid the frustration over broken plans, we don’t have to berate ourselves or take it out on those around us. Making room for things to change, and adjusting when they do, can be the bridge in our rhythm that allows us to stay in tune.
Jesus used unplanned moments. We can try, with the Spirit’s help, to follow his lead.
Prayer: Jesus, Thank you for showing me how to adapt when interruptions change my plans. Help me to make room for the inevitable delays and detours. Help me to respond with patience so that I can make the most of the moments that come.
Reflection: How do you respond when things don’t go as planned? If you need to change how you see delays and distractions, what steps can you take to see them as opportunities rather than frustrations?
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