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Martha, Martha

Okay, I know you all know the story and have heard it a million times.  I’m talking about the story of Mary and Martha – Martha is the busy one and Mary is the one who just wants to sit and listen to Jesus. 

I have been studying this story in my Wednesday Women’s class and it got me to thinking.  Wait, maybe you don’t know it – let’s recite it here again.   

 
From Luke 10:

               As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a
               woman named Martha opened her home to Him.  She had a sister called Mary,
               who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said.   But Martha was
               distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him
               and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work
               by myself?  Tell her to help me!”

                “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many
                things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen
                what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

That’s it.  Powerful, huh?  J

Seriously, though, I want to put myself in Martha’s shoes (or should we say, “oven mitts”) and have a go at it.

I open my home to Him.  I must be the one in charge (or at least I think I am).   Right?  Lot of responsibility there.  Okay, well I’m the eldest, I’m used to responsibility. I can handle it.  Let’s see, I need to do this and that, etc, etc, and then there’s all these preparations because company has arrived. 

I don’t even know if I even REALIZE Who is over or if I even care.  All I am worried about is what needs to be done.   “Out of my way, I’ve got work to do!”

Because no one is helping me, I’m going to bully my way into getting help.  Isn’t “bullying” a fruit of the spirit?  NO?  Well, anyway, it doesn’t matter, because I have places to go and people to see . . .  out of my way!

Then, clearly, in a soft voice, I hear, “Martha, Martha . . . . “.   He’s calling me with love, not demanding me to come, but just calling me . . . loving me.  I stop.

He tells me what I’m thinking.  Wait, He knows what’s on my mind??  I’m worried and upset, He says.  Yes, that’s true, I am worried and upset. 

Who is this?   How can He . . . . . ?

I stop.  This is my Lord.  My Lord.  What is wrong with me?   Don’t I love Him, worship Him, adore Him?  Then why am I not acting that way.  Why am I ignoring Him???

I’m distracted, ever since He arrived, all I have been doing is . . . “doing”.  Its like I have a “crowd in my mind”* – this “crowd” has taken control of me, not letting me think straight, but keeping me distracted.

It keeps me away from what is really important – actually, WHO is really important.  It distracts me from the ONE THING, the ONLY THING that is needed.  Jesus tells me that.  He says only one thing is needed.  What, Lord?  What?  What is it??????  

                 You have forsaken the love you had at first.  Revelation 2

My first love.  To love Him first, before all else.  ABOVE all else.  Oblivious of all else. 

Oh, help me, Lord.  I want to, I really, really do.  But there's this "crowd in my mind"? HELP!
 
First, I have to want to and asking for HELP! is a great way to start.  Then, I have to deliberately make time for Him - for prayer, for study of His Word, for worship.  "Deliberately" is the key word here.  Then, I have to get into the habit of this - this time with Him.

It takes time, it takes practice AND its takes determination. 

                                         Debi, Debi . . . . .  
 
But its SOOOOOOOOOOO WORTH IT !!!

 

*”crowd in her mind” is from Jan Silvious, Fool-Proofing Your Life:  Wisdom for Untangling Your Most Difficult Relationships (Colorado Springs, WaterBrook, 1998).

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