In 1995, as part of transitioning into the career counseling field, I studied for two weeks with Richard Bolles, author of the classic “What Color is Your Parachute.” In this extended workshop, he was free to come out and say, hey, I wrote this book from a spiritual perspective, as an Episcopal priest. And he would give these wonderful talks, sermons really, with God at the center of our ongoing search for meaningful work.

I remember one talk where he spoke of some of his favorite “spiritual principles.” A key one was: “Every day is an adventure for two.” By that he meant: Each day you wake with your schedule, deadlines, appointments, supposed map of the day.  And many days, in the midst of those plans unfolding, there is an interruption, and not a welcome one: The phone call, the knock on the door, the email:  Different means of communication, same message: Please come. Please help. I need you. Only you can help….now.

The “adventure for two” meant you and God. That God calls on us as instruments, partners-in-the-moment. As always, the choice of how to respond is ours. This is tricky, endless stuff:   Are we to drop everything, all the time, to help? What about our boundaries, limits, levels of energy? For me, these are real considerations, and worthy of much thought, but… when the call comes, it’s not thinking that is required, but action. Our God is a God of interruptions, and they are holy spaces we are invited into, even if they don’t seem like it at the time.

I am so aware this is about personal availability. I have a picture in my mind of me sitting at my desk at home, writing checks to pay bills, and a check to charity, and letting a call from a dear family friend go to voice mail because, well, her need for someone right then did not coincide with my busy day.  What is wrong with this picture? Plenty. And yet the answer is not guilt; guilt is not a helpful way to help someone! I think the answer is in Dick’s name for this principle: Adventure. Yes, you have your day, your plans. But sit loosely to them; stay flexible and open. Something may be coming around the corner, and the invitation could be large indeed.

This coming week, notice if you get any invitations to adventure in ways you might not expect. How is God needing your hand, your thoughts, your actions? When Jesus said in the Gospel of John 10:10, “I come that you might have life, and have it abundantly,” might he have had interruptions in mind?