In October 2015, my husband Robby began a new position at a church in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Shortly after, our worship team had an album release concert. It was one of the first weekends at our new church in our new city and was the first major event we were a part of as a whole family.

I figured this concert was going to be perfect for my seven- and five-year-old boys, who were tornadoes wrapped in flesh. I was thinking about how perfect this event would be—they’d be able to look at all of the flashing lights, hear all of the loud music, and nobody would look at them if they were moving around to the rhythm of the songs.

All was well and good until the band asked the audience to sit down and took a few minutes to explain where these songs came from and to thank the church for their support. I could sense the storm brewing in my boys. The restlessness began and only increased. My own aggravation was growing, as was (I’m sure) that of the people around me, and eventually, I was simply fed up. I left the first row, stormed out to the lobby with my sons (Rig and Ryder) in tow, and sat on a chair as they ran their energy out.

We weren’t out there for two minutes before a lady walked out with her two children (one of whom is severely handicapped). Her youngest was between my boys’ ages, so the three of them immediately started playing together. She and I sat down, and for close to forty minutes we talked and realized we had a lot in common as parents of children with some special needs. She was one of the first friends I made at our church and remains a great friend to this day.

When I look back on that moment, full of frustration at the interruption of what I expected to be a relaxing night, I now think about how grateful I am God had a different plan. He wanted to introduce me to my first friend at my new church by getting us alone in the lobby where we could connect. Sometimes our perfectly thought-out plans can be interrupted—and that’s okay. It even happened to Jesus on occasion.

One time Jesus planned to go to a remote place to be alone but was prevented from doing so due to the tremendous crowds. Right before He fed a multitude, in Matthew 14:13–14, the Bible says:

When Jesus heard about it, he withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a large crowd, had compassion on them, and healed their sick.

He wasn’t able to get any alone-time after a long period of intentional ministry, but God used Him and His disciples to feed what may have been 25,000 people! And guess what? After He dismissed the crowd, Matthew tells us that “he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Well into the night, he was there alone” (v. 23). He couldn’t follow through with His plan beforehand, but Jesus tried again. And this time He got what His heart desired, time alone with His Father.

Interruptions aren’t always a bad thing. Interruptions could be an opportunity. Kay Warren, in her book Sacred Privilege, says, “I wonder if the principle we should grasp is this: sometimes the interrupted is not as important as the interrupter.” We should strive to have that daily alone time with God, but we should also be prepared for our plans to be interrupted.

Excerpted and adapted with permission from Disciple Her by Kandi Gallaty. Copyright 2019, B&H Publishing Group.

Kandi Gallaty is a pastor’s wife, mother of two precious boys (Rig and Ryder), speaker, and writer who is devoted to making disciples by cultivating a passion in women for God’s Word. She and her husband, Robby, coauthored Foundations, and together lead Replicate Ministries, which educates, equips, and empowers believers to make disciples who make disciples. Kandi and her family live outside of Nashville, Tennessee, and serve at Long Hollow Baptist Church.

Disciple Her by Kandi Gallaty

We all know Jesus commands us to disciple others.

But how are we supposed to do this in everyday life? How can women, no matter what stage of life they are in, be a disciple who makes disciples? How can we find time to invest ourselves into others when it feels like our schedules are already full? What is our place in carrying out the Great Commission?

In this practical book, Kandi Gallaty helps you develop an effective disciple-making strategy in your life and the lives of others. Disciple Her is filled with Kandi’s personal stories, more than a decade’s worth of discipleship experiences, and most importantly, her commitment to the Word of God.

We all know Jesus commands us to disciple others.

But how are we supposed to do this in everyday life? How can women, no matter what stage of life they are in, be a disciple who makes disciples? How can we find time to invest ourselves into others when it feels like our schedules are already full? What is our place in carrying out the Great Commission?

In this practical book, Kandi Gallaty helps you develop an effective disciple-making strategy in your life and the lives of others. Disciple Her is filled with Kandi’s personal stories, more than a decade’s worth of discipleship experiences, and most importantly, her commitment to the Word of God.