STOP! And Smell the Rose!

As I lay in bed last night thinking about the events of the past few days and the things that are on my schedule in the next two weeks and a peculiar thing happened. I realized how easy it is to become so busy preparing for all the celebrations that you leave little time for the One you’re celebrating. It’s not that I’m doing anything “wrong” but that during the course of the day I’m choosing things that aren’t God’s best. I’m practicing to give Jesus an excellent gift and there is nothing wrong with that, I’m listening to music that glorifies Jesus, I’m working on things that are all good but I’ve become so busy as I lay there and I felt like Martha, not Mary. Have you ever done this?

For those of you who don’t know who I’m speaking of I’m referring to Mary and Martha in the Bible. They were sisters of Lazarus, the one that Jesus raised from the dead. One day Jesus had been out ministering to many multitudes of people and He stopped at their home to rest and eat a meal. They were His close inner circle, He could relax at their home and enjoy the company of people who loved Him not for what He could do for them but just because He was their friend. Remember that Jesus was a Healer and had people grasping to just touch Him everywhere He went to be Healed, that had to be exhausting to His humanness.

So back to the ladies, Martha was in the kitchen preparing a huge feast for Jesus and the disciples and she was busy! But where was Mary? She was learning at the feet of the Rabbi Jesus, her Teacher, the One who gave her access to something not that only she had been denied but something all women had been denied prior to His coming, education! But it was more than just that, she was sitting at the feet of Jesus, soaking up every single Word that came out of His beautiful mouth and basking in His glory. She was worshipping Him! Well, this didn’t go over particularly well with Martha who thought that Mary was a HUGE slacker and she went straight to Jesus and asked Him “Don’t you care I’m doing all this work by myself? Tell my sister to come help me!”  

Jesus responded in a way that warms my heart, He told Martha that she was worried and upset over many things but only one thing was really necessary and Mary had chosen it and it would not be taken away from her. How beautiful are the words of a Savior who truly understood the motives behind each woman and why she was doing what she was doing! It appeared Martha was the virtuous woman here, she was working hard and Mary was just lounging at the feet of Jesus doing nothing! But Jesus saw the hearts. I love Him so much for this!

Here is the Scripture I was referring to, “Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

I know in our Western Culture it may seem this is unfair of Jesus to some. We are so busy with planning activities, we are addicted to busyness. There is nothing wrong with busying ourselves with the work of our Father but when we do so at the expense of sitting at the feet of our Savior then something is wrong. We must be very careful not to replace time at the feet of Jesus with American Idol or some other television program.

So for this Lenten Season I will be tuning out of television land and taking time to smell the sweet fragrance of the Rose of Sharon……

Up A Tree...

When I was a small child I loved to climb trees, I was wiry and quick, not to mention there weren’t many things I wouldn’t do on a dare. It was a windy day, the tree was tall and the dare had been issued. It was a dare of a double dog variety. I couldn’t possibly back down.

I was extremely young; I don’t recall much of my climb up except that when I had made it to the top I became paralyzed with fear and unable to come back down. This was a problem. Being such a small child who weighed maybe 25lbs I was able to climb up into the very tip top of that tree, up to the swaying limbs where a larger child couldn’t go much less a grown man.

I’m not certain how long I had waited up there before the fear that her little sister might have to live up the tree forced my sister to run in and get my mom who came out with a horrified look on her face. This was not good. She was hysterical and I caught words wafting up on the breeze like fire department and rescue equipment. I was in BIG TROUBLE with capital letters!

But perched high atop the tree I had a view others didn’t! I saw over the house that my Daddy’s pickup truck was coming up the road! Daddy would know what to do! He would save me! He pulled in the driveway, and rushed to where the small crowd that was gathering and I saw Momma pointing up the tree at me precariously blowing in the breeze atop the tree. He didn’t hesitate, in his police uniform he climbed up that tree as far as it would hold him but it wasn’t high enough. He still couldn’t reach me. I was completely deflated. But he looked up at me and said, “Do you trust me?” Of course I did! He was Daddy! Then he reached out his hand and said, “Step out into my hand and I’ll catch you, I promise.” And without a thought I let go and stepped out into thin air and my Daddy caught me and carried me down to safety. I still tear up thinking about it.

In this life trusting someone can be hard, but when they’ve never once broken a promise to you it is easy. When you know they have your best interest in mind always and they will never do you harm it makes trusting them a choice that is easier to make. That’s how it was with my Daddy, he had my best interest in mind and I trusted him. That’s how it is with my Heavenly Father, He has given me promises in the Bible that always true, He has given me His only Son to die for me, and although at times it seems like His way is harder than what I would want I know it is best for me so I trust Him. Otherwise I wind up stuck up a tree…

“For You are my hope, O Lord GOD; You are my trust from my youth.” Psalms 71:5