The last few weeks have been almost surreal with busyness.
I found myself running… and running fast… sometimes, I admit, even resembling a chicken with it’s head cut off. Okay, so I don’t even really know what a chicken looks like running around with it’s head cut off, but I’m sure it’s very frantic. And hectic. Like my life right now.
But in the middle of planning for trips, prepping for dinner parties and overnight guest, attending meetings, completing homework, finagling with insurance adjustors, and general stressing, I stopped.
And thought.
And realized…
I’d been pulling a Martha.
Yes. A Martha. As in, Mary and Martha, the sisters whom Jesus visited in Luke 10:38-41:
“Now it happened, as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Just like Martha I’ve been busy.
And busy with true legitimate work that NEEDS TO BE DONE. Our home will not get a new roof, phone calls won’t get made, the dishes won’t get washed on their own.
They NEED. TO. BE. DONE.
But…
these verses, and the person of Martha, challenged me. Martha’s work needed to be done too. Yet, when she cried out in frustration, Jesus didn’t supply a handful of servants to help with the mopping and food prep. Instead he reminded her of the importance of sitting at his feet.
What a convicting passage for a woman like me!
Have I been worried and troubled about many things, but forgotten the one thing needful? Have I neglected to stop and sit at Jesus’ feet? Have I been ready and willing to receive His word? And to give myself up to His guidance in every area of my life?
Are all these things that consume me, necessary? I mean, who is making who busy? Am I making myself busy on purpose, so that I don’t have time to judge my intentions and motives?
Do I run around like crazy, putting enormous amounts of effort into our home, the children, church ministry, and Army functions, for myself? Or is for the Lord? Do I do it as unto Him?
Am I forgetting to stop and sit at Jesus’ feet?
Sigh.
And so I sit here… and pray and ponder: Have I done the one thing needful? Or have I found myself pulling a Martha?
4 comments:
I think we are all prone to being a Martha - its so wonderful that you recognized it. Sometimes I get stuck in that mode for way too long.
Thanks for the reminder. Just what us busy mom's need. We need to remember to slow down and look to HIM. It's so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and think it's okay to put God aside because we are so busy. Thank you so much for this post.
Kathryn,
Thank you for sharing this. It is really good and really convicting as well. We do need to sit at His feet more so we can be sustained to do the things that NEED TO BE DONE! Otherwise alone we just break down. Been there, done that- not fun!
Great post and wonderful reminder. I have also been convicted to re-examine my activities because I feel like Martha more than Mary most days. Busy unto the Lord or just busy? Somedays it is hard to tell.
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