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When Life is Full of Interruptions

Every life is full of interruptions and how we respond to those interruptions is an opportunity to be part of real life happening around us.

To live without interruption, one could be highly focused or highly bored. You can quote me on that.

Unless you are locked in a cave of solitude, interruptions are inevitable even in our best-laid plans for productivity. This mindset may be the only thing that allows you to maintain sanity during the endless stream of interruptions flooding in.

Text messages.

Kids.

The laundry buzzer going off.

A wandering mind.

Calendar appointment reminders.

Kids.

Some of the interruptions can be quieted like our smart phone’s focus filter to shush incoming notifications.

Laundry buzzers will quiet themselves and the laundry will stay unobtrusively hidden until your “everyone is going to be naked tomorrow” freak out when you realize that yep, you’ve once again ignored the buzzer.

Kids, however, are tougher interruptions to quiet since they are born highly skilled in the art of interruption. There’s always a “Mom, watch me! Watch me!” or “Dad, can you help me with math?” or “What can we have for a snack?”.  We can buy a little time with our response of “Not now”, “Maybe in a little bit” or “I’m busy right now”. But we know their innocent little hearts rarely allow much time to pass before their adorable faces make another appearance.

And well, our own brain, often be the best interrupter of all, is a doozy to quiet.

HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THE INTERRUPTIONS?

Are they annoyances to you? Are they distractors that knock your day completely out of whack?

What happens when big things come in and interrupt life?

How do you respond when you can’t quiet the interruptions?

And what if your interrupter was God?

Last year, Jon Burns, President of the Greater European Mission, guest spoke at our church and proposed the very idea for us to be interruptible, to “live in the interruption”.

Jon shared example after example of how God interrupted his plans and after each example, posed the question, “Is your life interruptible?”

Jon shared Biblical God interruptions:

  • David, taking a picnic to his brother in the war, was interrupted and killed Goliath.
  • Paul was interrupted from killing believers and transformed into being a believer himself.
  • The Hebrews 11 “Hall of Faith” members… pretty sure none of them started out thinking “if only I can get my name in the Bible.”

It’s easy to see how God’s interruptions have been incredible opportunities when we know the ending or when it is someone else sharing their story from the stage.

But what about in our own life? Or here’s the thought-piercing way Jon presented us with that same question…

“What if you are the only Jesus follower in the stadium? If people have the courage to stand up and do the right thing, others will follow them. God says, ‘As you go, I’ll reveal the plan.’ But you have to step out in faith. It takes as much faith to talk to a lonely person in a coffee shop as much as it takes to move to another country.”

Jon Burns, President of the Greater European Mission

God uses everyday people every day. God uses interruptions to use us as his hands and feet.

I wonder if how we chose to respond to the little interruptions in our day (like your mother bored texting you ridiculous cat memes or your spouse botching your day’s agenda by adding another item to your to-do list) are a sign of how we will handle bigger interruptions (like God calling you to change vocation or location)? Sounds a lot like Luke 16:10, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much”, right?

So how WILL you respond to interruptions?

What if instead of being irritated with your child for interrupting your productivity, you use the interruption as a moment to be fully present with your child?

What if instead of viewing a crisis as a crisis (like the world sees it), we view the situation through God’s eyes as an opportunity?

What if you allowed God to interrupt how you ran your business?

What if you were the only Christ follower in the stadium? Would you allow God to interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to make an impact in the kingdom?

What if you stepped out in faith and were open to God’s interruptions? Would you embrace the adventure?

IS YOUR LIFE INTERRUPTIBLE?

If you adopt the mindset that to live without interruption, you could be highly focused or highly bored… you may just find that interruptions can be incredible opportunities, especially when God is the interrupter.

Blessings as you live in the interruption!
Alisha

Moms, do you ever just want mom-life to be easier? Alisha helps moms simplify their lives and homes! Out with overwhelm, in with ease! Visit MsAlishaCarlson.com for ways to stop living in survival mode and start living out your God-given passions adventurously! Also, check out Alisha’s podcast, Real Mom Talk, a show that brings a little sanity, help, and humor to the insanity we feel as a mom!

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