What If the Interruption is God’s Plan?

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. Luke 1:26-31

Many new moms pick up a copy of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. While the book offers many helpful tips on a variety of topics, even memorizing the book wouldn’t make you fully prepared for motherhood. I think the biggest issue is that the baby hasn’t read the book. The baby just doesn’t know how to act. There is nothing against preparation. But, all of that knowledge paired with a lack of sleep pretty much equals zero in the end.

Mary was unprepared for motherhood to say the least. She was betrothed to Joseph, which was a little more than engaged, but definitely not married. Mary was a virgin. The thought of being pregnant was, well, inconceivable (sorry).

There was no doubt in Mary’s mind that she was pregnant. She wasn’t waiting to see if the line on the test changed color or showed a plus sign. An angel appeared and made the announcement. There was no mistake there.

Now for those who are reading this devotional what occurred with Mary will never occur with you. It’s impossible to identify with immaculate conception or virgin birth. But, what we can relate to is interruptions.

We see most of our interruptions as problems. Our goal is to resolve the interruption and get on with the plan. But, let me ask you this: what if the interruption is the plan? It may not fit our expectation of how we thought things would be. But, it’s certainly not a surprise to God.

Whether you’re a expectant mother preparing for your first born or a middle aged man in a career transition, you are in God’s plan. Do your best to prepare. Then, depend on God for the rest.