I know it isn’t Mothers’ Day this weekend, but I feel like giving a shout-out to all moms. Theirs is undoubtedly one of the toughest jobs ever. They have a fuller-than-full schedule, trying to fit in the myriad tasks of running a household along with the non-stop, minor crises arising from little people at their knees, or moody teenagers slamming bedroom doors. If they’re chill enough, at the end of each day, they may chalk up the still-to-be-done chores to ‘the way things are.’ If not, if they have a pressing need to check off every detail on the day’s list, they may be tearing their hair out in tearful frustration. Oh, those interruptions! So, moms, Bravo! And a huge, heartfelt thank you for graciously permitting all of us to make it through adolescence (we know there were moments…).
This has me thinking more about that word ‘interruption.’ Is it only something negative? Next stop – the dictionary. The meaning found there is: a hindrance by breaking in, the breaking of uniformity or continuity, the breaking in of questions while another is speaking (i.e. Mom, Mom, Mom…) So, it seems largely something undesirable, something like a time thief, something uncaring about its impact. Of all the books I’ve read over the years, one stands out in my memory for consistent, aggravating, interruptions to the storytelling. The author had a great story to tell but awkwardly used the literary tool of flashback. With no warning from paragraph to paragraph, the scene would lurch away from the main story, attempting to weave in a secondary tale, one which held little appeal.
But are interruptions always that way? Could some unexpected developments bring a smile, a happy tear, even a reason to celebrate? Like, for instance, that late-night phone call from the USA (Sue) while I was in France and she, at long last, said ‘Yes’ to my proposal of marriage? Take it from me, y’all, sometimes a ‘breaking in’ can be positively life-changing!
We’ve just looked together at the breaking in of God’s faithfulness in the deliverance of the people of Israel from Egypt, an epic interruption if ever there was one! It was clearly one of those times in Scripture when a ‘Stop the Presses,’ order was needed. A time when continuing without pausing seemed impossible, a time when Joy just had to have its day. Looking forward to seeing all you Story-dwellers and pausing for a bit tomorrow 10 AM, 3 PM UK. PD