The priest and the Levite were undoubtedly men with scheduled lives and important responsibilities on their calendars. It's hard to imagine neither would stop to help this wounded man, but then again, we've all heard of occasions when many people do pass by someone that is hurt and in need of help. Getting involved is a risk and interruption many choose not to take.
Today's devotion reminds me that life does not run on my schedule. Interruptions do occur, and it is often in these very interruptions that I am needed most. The sermon can wait, life will go on without the council report, someone else can proof the bulletin- this person needs me now. For a scheduled person, it can be hard to set aside the "to do" list full of important responsibilities. But it may well be that it is in the interruption that God is most present.
Note: While writing this devotion, Melissa "interrupted me" to come upstairs and see the moon setting over the mountains. I'm glad she did, for it reminded me of the amazing God of all creation!
I can identify with the passersby. When I have a goal or a deadline, I can become so focused that I won't let anything interrupt me. I have been trying to daily remember some of Christina Baldwin's 7 Whispers. One is to "surrender to surprise" and another is to "move at the pace of guidance." If I slow down and try to listen to what God's will is for me at a particular moment, I may find that His priority for me is different from my own.
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