What's Your Story – Samantha
[Guest Post by Samantha Krieger] God interrupted my story the summer after I graduated from college.
I interned at a Christian publishing company in Nashville. I loved my work and what music city had to offer. I wanted to plant roots there but two weeks before my internship ended, I felt God leading me to pursue seminary.
The funny thing is that seminary was never in my thoughts. Not once the whole summer. Then after pondering the idea and really considering it, affirmation came from those closest to me. Coincidentally, they were praying about the same thing.
After talking with different seminaries, to my surprise, I received a full scholarship to the seminary of the college I graduated from. I packed up my stuff and made the journey back to Lynchburg, Virginia. In no time, the Lord provided a roommate, job, and instant community.
While I doubted at times if I made the best choice, God continued to use His word, people and circumstances to confirm my decision. And little did I know that he had a special surprise waiting for me.
God certainly has a way of meeting us right where we are and interrupting our plans, dreams, goals, or ideas.
Sometimes his interruptions are sudden.
Sometimes they are subtle.
Either way, his interruptions remind us that He is God, and we are not. They teach us that he has a better plan than we could ever craft and shape with our human hands.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God… We must not… assume that our schedule is our own to manage, but allow it to be arranged by God.”
My schedule and what I choose to fill my time with is God’s. Not mine. But sometimes I hold on tightly to my own agenda and forget that I need to be ready for God to do what he wishes. Whenever and however he wills.
Allowing the Lord to interrupt our lives on a daily basis might mean making a career change, ending a dating relationship, reconciling a broken friendship, sharing the gospel when it’s inconvenient, helping someone different than us, being a listening ear to a stranger, or speaking encouragement into the life of another.
It might mean surrendering all that we are to him and giving him our sin struggles so we can be healed and used for his glory. Whatever the case, God desires that we follow after Him wholeheartedly when we make our plans.
How My Story Ends
About a month into my seminary education, I met a young man named Jeremiah in my Church History class. He asked me to go to lunch with him after class one day and from then on out, we were inseparable and I was in love. We married a year later and this December we’ll celebrate seven years of marriage.
I’m so grateful that God interrupted my plans that summer in Nashville. It’s crazy (and a little scary) to think about where I’d be if my plans actually came true…
When has God intervened in your life and given you something so much better? I’d love to hear. What’s your story?
Bio: Samantha Krie
ger is a writer and editor in Dallas, TX. Through story, personal reflection, and biblical insight she is passionate about helping others live out their faith in everyday life. She holds a B.A. in English from Liberty University and a M.A. in Religion from Liberty Theological Seminary. Samantha and her husband, Jeremiah, have two children, John (3) and Rebekah (1), and are expecting their third at the end of June. She blogs weekly at: samanthakrieger.com and tweets at: @samanthakrieger.
