I’m a doer. I dance to the rhythm of daydreaming, goal setting, and box checking. But as events in my life collided, I came to a full stop. At first, it felt forced; like when a construction worker uses a stop sign to reroute traffic. And yet, trying to push past God’s grace only led to fatigue and frustration.

But God used an unplanned pause to make a point. While teaching an online Bible study, my screen went blank.

I wasn’t the online host, so I thought technology took a nap on the other end. But as text alerts flooded my phone, they each asked me what happened. Then I panicked. This had never happened. But I couldn’t escape the irony. The topic of my teaching was “How God Reveals His Plan.”

The interruption was His invitation to give me a private lesson. As I said yes, my unplanned pause became purposeful. Sensing God’s prompting, I took slow, deep breaths. It helped me to exhale my tension over the outcome and inhale God’s faithfulness over all things. (Psalm 89:2)

The Message Bible paraphrase of Matthew 11:28-30 comes to mind. I discovered this version years ago. But each time I read it; I feel like it reads me. It says, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

The unforced rhythms of grace can certainly come through an unplanned pause. After a reboot to my computer and a realignment of my perspective, I regained access to the online study. In a display of God’s faithfulness, a fellow Bible teacher filled in while I was away. I was only gone for about 5 minutes. It felt much longer. But God’s point was made.

Even when things feel out of our control, His grace is sufficient. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Maybe you’ve had your own unplanned pause. Perhaps a project is put on hold. A relationship’s next steps are stalled. Travel plans are delayed, or a budget that was booming is now busted.

Friend, if nothing is happening the way you want it to happen, resist the urge to try to push past God’s grace. His unforced rhythm is our rescue from feeling overworked, overlooked, or overwhelmed. And yet, the gift of personal growth is rarely easy to unwrap… but it is always worth it.

As I continue to discover and trust God’s plan, there is a needful shift. The number of tasks on my to-do list shrinks. The pressure from what’s on the list leaves. My daydreams give way to His vision. Because as we keep company with the Lord, we learn to live freely and lightly — even in an unplanned pause.