Interrupted on Purpose: Loving Our Kids and Our People Well

The other day I was sitting with a friend, coffee in hand, finally having one of those good, real conversations that moms crave. You know, the type of cup filling get together where you feel seen and understood. And right as I was getting into the thick of it, I felt a tug on my sleeve.

“Mom, mom, MOM!”

I’ll be honest. My first reaction was frustration. I was in the middle of something. But as I looked at my child’s little face, I felt the Lord’s gentle nudge: this is the point.

Motherhood, friendship, chosen family is not about waiting for perfectly quiet, uninterrupted moments. It’s about learning to see the interruptions as invitations. Our kids aren’t trying to ruin our conversations. They’re showing us that they trust us to be their safe place. And isn’t that exactly how God welcomes us? We never interrupt Him. He delights in us, always.

The same is true in community. The women God has placed in my life that I am able to laugh with, cry with, pray with, and share my messy house with are all part of my chosen family. And chosen family isn’t neat. It doesn’t run on a tidy schedule. It’s noisy. It’s unpredictable. It’s kids wanting to play catch right when I sit down and friends showing up when the mountain of laundry looks like it has exploded in the living room.

But it’s holy.

Because it’s an honor to walk through life with people, our children included, who need us and who let us need them. Jesus modeled this over and over again. He didn’t turn children away when they came to Him. In fact, He said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). And Paul reminded us of the same heart for community: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

So maybe the interruptions aren’t a problem to solve. Maybe they’re the very moments where love gets real. Where family, both the kids we’re raising and the community we’ve chosen, gets to see the love of Jesus lived out in us. That’s the beauty of chosen family, and it’s worth every messy, interrupted moment.