This is a story within a story. It tells of a holy interruption. Jesus has been summoned to heal the daughter of a leader of the synagogue and on the way there, a woman reaches out to him, drawing on the power of her faith to receive healing for herself. This tells us that Jesus is willing to pause in his mission to serve someone with status and connections to minister to a woman who, because of her illness, was considered unclean and would have been disconnected from her community simply because of the bleeding.
Sometimes we fail to notice a need because we are busy with what we think are more important things. We lay out a plan for our day and resent when that plan is disrupted. I wonder, though, how many opportunities we miss to be the presence of Jesus for someone who needs nothing more than to be seen or noticed. If only we take the time to notice someone reaching out, how might the Spirit of God work through us?
Think of the last time your plan for the day was disrupted. How did you respond? What was the outcome? What difference might it make to the way you respond if you think of these disruptions as holy interruptions?
Today, if you find yourself or your plans being interrupted, rather than feeling frustrated, stop and ask the Lord who or what needs your attention in that moment.