Keep Interrupting
The latch of the bedroom door jolted her slumber. Soft light slipping between the blinds finally coaxed her eyelids open. Another Monday. She groaned and pushed the cocoon of warmth off her body. Grabbing the phone on the nightstand, she stumbled towards the bathroom, almost tripping over a stuffed giraffe on the way.
She squeezed out some lotion and began scrolling the phone on the counter with her left hand while rubbing her face with the other.
Wait, skinny jeans are outdated? She glanced at her stack of jeans in the closet and went to play a reel when a small form wrapped in a blanket pushed open the door.
"Mommy, I'm hungry."
"Morning, baby. I'll be out in a minute to get some breakfast." She leaned closer and lowered her voice, "And I got a new box of cereal!!" A small squeal erupted.
She squeezed the girl and planted a kiss on top of her head before closing the door behind her trailing blanket.
She continued wiping her face and was pulled back to the feed on her phone.
How to get rid of pesky wrinkles.
She leaned towards the mirror and scrunched her face, inspecting the lines on her forehead.
She finished applying a light coat of concealer and mascara and pulled on her skinny jeans in protest. As she headed out of the bathroom, her eyes instinctively caught the mirror for a quick check. Her shoulders slumped. Maybe she was outdated. She moved towards the closet for a change of clothes, but the playful squeals of her four-year-old pulled harder. She shrugged and trudged towards the kitchen.
She grabbed the box of Cheerios from the pantry and poured a bowl full, plopping it down amidst a sea of Polly Pockets on the table.
Turning to reheat the remains of her husband’s coffee in the microwave, she asked, “Adele, how about we build a huge fort today?”
“Oh yes! It can be way bigger than the last one,” the girl said while a stream of milk dripped off her chin.
The mother’s sparkling eyes dimmed against the glowing phone in her hand.
Ten reasons you should sneak veggies into your kids' breakfasts.
Her eyes met the bright yellow box on the counter and bounced quickly back, skirting past pictures of elaborate vacations, romantic dinners, and girls' nights out. Interspersed between, she read more headlines:
How to lose that stubborn baby weight and look amazing!
Three reasons why you should start academics early.
Gain energy and vitality the clean way—without caffeine!
She stared at her coffee cup on the counter and nudged it away.
An email notification popped up: Join the spring cleaning challenge and get CONTROL of your home!
She glanced around the living room strewn with toys, armless dolls, and segments of railroad track hiding under the couch and chairs. Her head pounded, and her heart beat faster as she absorbed the clutter on every surface. The room began to close tighter around her. She struggled to think. Everything she saw screamed of her failures.
Adele came waddling towards her, four roughly-folded blankets piled atop her arms, nearly covering her eyes.
“I’ve got the blankets, Mommy!” she triumphantly declared.
Her mother pulled back at the sight of the tumbling blankets.
“What? No, no, Adele. This is such a mess. Have you seen this room? I don’t know what I was thinking. We don’t need to add a fort to this disaster!” She motioned around the room wildly. “Why can’t you pick up your toys like I’ve asked you so many times?!”
Her daughter’s arms drooped to the side as she slowly began to gather the blankets at her feet.
Her mother stomped towards the kitchen and pulled out the vibrating phone from her pocket.
“Hey, praying for you today. I’m so grateful for your friendship. Keep loving your family well, friend!”
She read the text again.
Eighteen words. Three sentences. They cut into the screams of accusations that swirled inside her head. They interrupted the litany of messages telling her what to do, think, or feel.
Her shoulders relaxed. She took a deep breath.
Her eyes scanned the room once more. This time, the clutter on the table and the bright box of cereal faded in view as she watched the small curly-headed girl bound down the hallway. Her eyes met a frame hanging against the dirtied cream-colored walls. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,” she read. Her eyes lingered on the text and then closed for a brief moment.
She placed her phone on the counter, picked up her mug of coffee, and quietly called her daughter to join her back in the living room.
“Come here, sweetie.” She pulled Adele’s frame near and snuggled her perfectly in the crook of her soft belly and skinny jeans.
“I’m sorry I got angry. Will you forgive me? Mommy wasn’t thinking straight. Let’s make that fort after all, ok?”
Reflection Questions:
Prayerfully examine the “motherhood messages” you take in on a regular basis—Where do they come from? How do they impact your day-to-day? What does it look like to either silence or better steward these inputs, for God’s glory? (If you need help examining your relationship to social media specifically, check out this podcast series)
What fellow mom could you intentionally “interrupt” today with a bit of gospel hope and encouragement? A text or coffee drop-off only takes a moment and might be just what a friend needs in the midst of her overwhelm.
Take a look around your house. In the midst of whatever messes and undone tasks you see in this moment, how can you practically “fix your eyes on Jesus”?
