Hey there :)
Happy Thanksgiving! I have so many things to be thankful for this year, and just in general. I'm learning to smack myself upside the head more often, and look around to see all of the amazing people and opportunities that God has placed into my life that I simply take for granted. I have been thinking a lot lately along those lines...priorities, putting God first and being eternally minded when it comes to what I say and what I do.
I am a person who gets stressed out pretty easily, as much as I try not to. Combined with my inherent ability to procrastinate, this can make keeping up with school and readings quite an interesting experience. However, God always seems to bring good out of even stressful situations, and manages to teach me something. This week, it was through Mary and Martha.
I hadn't thought of this particular bible story in many years, but it was brought to mind through a song from one of the Donut Man videos that I used to watch when I was little. A skit along with it, the song tells the story or 2 women who were having Jesus over to their house for a meal. When Jesus arrives, Mary sits down in front of Him and simply listens to him speak, talks with Him, and spends time with Him. Martha, on the other hand, is in the kitchen, cooking the meal, cleaning up, making sure everything is ready. During the course of the evening Martha gets really frustrated with Mary, wanting her to come and help with the meal, and get everything prepared. But Jesus steps in and gently reminds Martha that Mary is the one who has chosen correctly, simply by choosing Him.
This story always bugged me. Not because I don't believe it's true, or that I think it's wrong....but deep down, I think I always sympathised related to Martha even though I wanted to be like Mary. I mean, for pete's sake, you're having Jesus over for dinner!!!! I would want every inch of my place to be spotless, to cook the best meal I had ever made and just have everything, well...perfect! This is the Son of God we're talking about! But then I pause and hear His whisper..."Martha...Martha...Meaghan...choose me instead. Instead of the cleaning, instead of the perfection, instead of the stress, instead of the feelings of self doubt, and 'not good enough'...choose me. Come and sit at my feet and just be for awhile. Talk to me, let me talk to you. Tell me about what you're so stressed about, tell me about your joys, your sorrows your fears...open up my word and lets look at some of it together...let me guide your mind and your heart as you read through my thoughts and promises...I love you, and I want to spend time with you...
When you think of it like that, why I even want to be a Martha? But I think it happens to all of us. And, I've found, it can even happen when we're doing His work...and I would argue that that's the most dangerous time it can happen. Nothing should be placed before God in our lives...not even things that He's given us a passion for. So, youth leading, bible study, able church...all of these things should be and are passions that are on my heart and come straight from God. But, they are not, and should not turn into my gods. And I confess that I can be guilty of that.
So, that would be my prayer for myself and for you this week...that we would be Mary's in a world of Martha's. That doesn't mean that we abandon our passions by any means...when God places something on your heart, you grab a hold of it and never let go, He can and will do amazing things through you if you let Him :) We just have to be careful that those passions don't take the place of time with God in our lives. Take time to just sit with God this week, talk to Him and listen for His whispers, tell Him about your day, thank Him for all He's done and just...breathe. He loves spending time with us...how amazing is that, the God of the UNIVERSE not only likes to but WANTS to spend time with you and me. I can't help but smile at that :)
Well, that's all for now I think. I hope you all have a splendid week! Don't ever forget how much you are loved <3
Lots of Love
God Bless
Meaghan :)
ps - here is the link for that donut man song I mentioned :) about 30 sec in til 3:15ish is the Mary and Martha song :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io8vh6uQXUA&feature=related
