Ella in Ella The Enchanted got the gift of obedience. My Bella and Mina got the gift of interrupting.
You have to give kids credit, it’s like they have a radar for punch lines. You find yourself telling a story beautifully, and as you get ready to unveil the plot, an alarm goes off in their witty little minds prompting them to finger-tap you incessantly, adding even the robotic-nagging-auditory effect:
– Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! …
– What honey?
– Ummm. Hmmm. I can’t remember.
– Marvellous! That makes two of us now.
You were interrupted. Hence, your story was shipwrecked.
Interruptions are unpleasant. Even more so, because they have no boundaries. They disturb our conversations, disrupt our well-planned plans, discourage our emotions, intimidate our identity, and they affect our wallet.
A delayed flight, a canceled meeting, a traffic jam, a fever, an intimidating conversation, an unforeseen expense, a false accusation, a rejection; all unsolicited interruptions. Some turn our life up-side-down, and some simply inconvenience the now.
Let’s take courage, we’re not alone. The Scripture is full of interrupted lives. “Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work. They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans …” Ezra 4:4,5
When Ezra was set to rebuild the temple, his enemies came to frustrate his plans by discouraging, intimidating, and accusing him.
When Nehemiah came to rebuild the walls, the unavoidable opposition came to disrupt, to harm, to frighten, and to discredit.
When young Hadassah switched her identity to Esther, her personal desires came to a halt. Even though she was once secured by the royal crown, her peace was rattled by Haman’s threat, or by Mordecai’s challenge to risk her life.
When David was on the run from Saul, and later as king, he experienced hostile disruptions most of us can’t fathom.
None of us escape the opportunity of dealing with interruptions.
My family is no exception. And I’m certain you are no exception to it too.
In the last few years we built endurance through many disruptions: health hiccups, the long drawn out process of adoption, major car issues at very ‘untimely’ moments, and the moving away of close friendships … not to mention the less-dramatic daily disruptive ‘spilled milk’ encounters.
There’s no doubt interruptions will show up at ‘untimely’ moments, but how I respond to these opportunities to grow will tell the world how I view the Lord.
Will I react in the flesh? Or, will I respond in the Spirit with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?
Let’s choose to rely on godly counsel, and wait upon the Lord as Ezra.
Let’s choose not to look around, but look up in prayer as Nehemiah.
Let’s choose to trust God, and stand up for what’s right as Hadassah.
Let’s choose to finger-pick a new song on David’s harp.
Yes, our kids got the gift of interrupting, but we get the opportunity of growing.
“I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.” Psalm 16:8