THE JOY OF THE INTERRUPTED LIFE

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,

for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go,

for to you I entrust my life.”

Psalm 143:8

If there’s anything I’ve learned about motherhood, it’s that every ounce of my life has been interrupted. From the very first day of welcoming a child into the world, all the things that I’ve have held as my own (my everyday doings, my solitude, my sleep, my hunger, my personal space, my time with the Lord) have been interrupted by motherhood. And as I read through this list, I remember all the times that God asked me to hold each one of these things open in my hands, surrendering what I thought were needs of my human heart, pointing me to my greatest need of all – the Savior.

Jesus lived the epitome of a sacrificial, surrendered, and interrupted life when He left His seat at the right hand on the Father to live a perfect, sinless life on the earth, paying the debt for sinners desperately in need of a Savior. And the greatest difference between our fallen flesh and the heart of God is that Jesus chose to interrupt his eternity in heaven because He loved us that much. As we read the Bible, we see examples all throughout scripture when Jesus was continually interrupted during his ministry on earth, but rather than seeing the interruptions as disruptions to His purpose, these interruptions became His purpose.

The Son of God welcomed each and every interruption with compassion and delight. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36). Jesus, who was perfect and sinless in all His ways, never saw His own needs, but He knew that His will was to do the will of the Father. The example that Jesus set is a beautiful picture of God’s design for motherhood, all by His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit in us. If we knew the fullness of God’s heart and His plans to use the interruptions of our children for His glory, I wonder if we would begin to see those interruptions differently? Maybe these interruptions all throughout our days are actually divine appointments by God, inviting our hearts and the hearts of our children to know Him more.

Like mothers, Jesus was continually surrounded by sick, sad, hungry, needy people, but His heart knew the will of the Father, the hope of salvation for broken and hurting sinners, those people and their interruptions became his delight. His life was one of interactions with messy, unclean people, and His heart was always for the least of these. The examples we see in Jesus’ life and earthly ministry are a picture of all the ways our lives are interrupted in motherhood. But, in each example, we see God’s heart of compassion for His people. I pray that these scriptures are sweet reminders that lead us to the heart of God and into the joy of an interrupted life, that our children and their interruptions may become our delight. As God grows His heart of compassion in us, may He show us that He is all we need.

Everyday Doings

“And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.”

Matthew 20:29-34

Jesus welcomed interruptions into his everyday doings because He knew the will of the Father and delighted in showing God’s heart of compassion to His people.

Solitude

“Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

Matthew 14:13-14

Jesus welcomed interruptions into His solitude because He knew the will of the Father and delighted in showing God’s heart of compassion to his people.

Sleep

“And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Matthew 8:23-27

Jesus welcomed interruptions into His sleep because He knew the will of the Father and delighted in showing God’s heart of compassion to His people.

Hunger

“One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”

Luke 7:36-39

“Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Luke 7:44-48

Jesus welcomed interruptions into His hunger and need for physical nourishment because He knew the will of the Father and delighted in showing God’s heart of compassion to His people.

Personal Space

“And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.”

Matthew 9:19-22

Jesus welcomed interruptions into His personal space because He knew the will of the Father and delighted in showing God’s heart of compassion to His people.

Time with God

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.”

Mark 1:35:39

Jesus welcomed interruptions into His time with God because He knew the will of the Father and delighted in showing God’s heart of compassion to His people.

The heart of Jesus is truly the epitome of God’s heart of mamas, He knew the joy that was set before Him in the interruptions of life. And while everything you thought you needed has been touched and interrupted by the needs of the children in your home, the greatest need of your heart is for the Savior.

Your purpose as a mother is not a perfectly kept house, healthy, homemade meals on the table or being on top of every tiny detail of every schedule in your home, it’s sharing the love of Jesus with your children every chance you get. As the eyes of Christ were always fixed on the cross and sinners desperately in need of a Savior, may this be our example for motherhood. Even in the height of Jesus’ ministry, when He was being followed by large crowds as they got word of the Messiah, He could have spent his all of His time and attention in planning and preaching the perfect sermon to the crowds, but instead, He welcomed the small interruptions along the way that led to the healing and salvation. His heart was always for the least of these. As we are seeking to raise up our children in faith, with a deep love and reverence for God and His Word, let’s not wait for the perfect, planned moments to teach of His promises, but follow the example of Jesus, letting their interruptions become the ministry in our homes.

So while all of #thisismotherhood, a life of interruption by the sick, sad, hungry, needy little hearts in our home, this is the path of following after Jesus, becoming more like Him, and living lives that follow the example set before us. When we believe the will of God and the heart of the Father is in the middle of all we do, we are living out God’s purpose for mothers on the earth. We are those hurting and broken sinners in need of a Savior and He chose the greatest interruption of all because of His great love for us. As we surrender every need and longing to the cross, may we hold fast to the promise of our Savior and find joy in living an interrupted life.