We have snow here at the moment. It transforms the landscape, and looks beautiful, but it causes a lot of disruption to the roads, and to travel in general. It can mean we can't get to where we want or need to be, or our travel time can be greatly increased. We also have to make provisions when travelling - pack some snacks, water, waterproof clothing and sensible boots.....just in case!
Life is subject to many disruptions, and we can find our daily routines and habits all amok with the arrival of a disruption in some form or another - perhaps an illness, a job loss or change in company structure, a problem in the home - perhaps an appliance breaking down, car problems.....the list goes on.
Lots of circumstances can cause a disruption in our lives, and as inconvenient as they may seem, actually it can give us a time to pause, reassess, and slow down for a moment and discover a blessing. A snow day today means I can not get to church. That is a major inconvenience, but I can sit and complain about it, or I can use the time wisely to have some down time, and time alone with Him. A huge traffic jam on the way home always feels like a massive headache, but we can use the time to pray for our leaders, our family or the area we are seeking breakthrough in.
Preparing or adjusting our habits when a disruption comes - just like packing the car with suitable supplies on a snowy day - can actually be a useful tool for us. It is good to assess what we do daily, how we do things, or to assess our habits on regular basis. In a practical sense, actually taking a bottle of water and a snack out on journeys is a really useful thing to do, especially for those of us with children. The disposal of the cumbersome changing bag full of nappies and spare clothes has meant I can go out lighter than I used to, but I always had an "emergency snack" in the changing bag for the children. Now I don't have anything. Not wise! Mums with young children need to have a snack available. Hungry kids are ....well we all know what hungry kids are like!
The traffic jam when I least needed it may actually cause me to realise that I've blotted out a dedicated prayer time, and that is not a good habit to drop or be lapse on. Making an adjustment to the daily routine to cut out the reading of the newspaper in the morning, and replace it with prayer may be needed.
Disruptions are often costly in some way, usually of time more than anything else, but if we always look to take something out of a disruption that is beneficial to us or others, then actually they can be a blessing in disguise. That broken washing machine may be a perfect opportunity to share the gospel with the repair man; the ailment when you are really busy can give you a chance to give glory to God when you claim and receive your healing; the change in structure at your company may mean that you get to learn a new skill and give you a renewed love of your job.....
The disruption in routine can help us reassess our habits, and actually disruptions can be reformed to an unexplored blessing if we ensure that we trust in God's goodness always.