GROWING SEEDS: "We're Living A Mary Moment In A Martha World"

My older sister Debbie and I have joked for years that she is the "Martha" of the family and I'm the "Mary".  We're, of course, referring to Mary and Martha, sisters of Lazarus and best friends to Jesus, in the story found in Luke 10. 

In a nutshell, Jesus, along with His disciples and followers (a lot of people!!) were visiting Martha's home where she lived with her brother Lazarus and sister Mary.  She was feeling the stress of feeding all these unexpected guests, making sure she had enough chairs and toilet paper (kidding), and watching her sister Mary doing nothing; well, except sitting quietly at Jesus' feet....listening to every word He said.  Martha, hands on her aproned hips, complained to Jesus that Mary wasn't helping her in the kitchen.

Debbie is a much better hostess than Liz in our family.  She is the one who organizes our get-together's, determines where they will happen and when.  Liz just plops down a loaf of bread she bought at Brookshires and starts catching up with everyone since the last time we were together.  All the while, Debbie is cooking in the kitchen (usually MY kitchen) and getting the food on the table.  Truly, this is a picture of our family get-together's.

But as the world has come to a screeching halt and been confined to their homes these past few weeks, it dawned on me that maybe God is needing us to use this time as Mary Moments in our Martha World.  God is "allowing" us to SLOW DOWN so we can sit at His feet to listen and  learn....get to know Him....hear His voice in all of this.  Time is short, friends...and perhaps He needed us in "Time Out"; almost like a parent sending their child to their room to “think” about what they did and to come out asking for forgiveness, so we can become “changed” from this time alone with Him.  I pray He whispers in our ears....and then delivers us from ourselves. 

Pull that Bible off the shelf and blow off the dust.  Open it up to the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10.  And don't miss those critical last verses in 41-42,

"Martha, Martha" (Insert your name here), the Lord answered,

"you are worried and upset about many things (Coronavirus, loss of jobs, economy, sickness and death),

but few things are needed - indeed only one thing is needed (time alone with Me).

Mary has chosen what is better, (she chose Me)

and it will not be taken away from her." (a beautiful, forever life with Me)