One thing:

Hello friends,

It's been a while since I've written any ponderings and pontifications.  My brain has been fairly scrambled (more so than usual) from our sleepless.fitful baby girl in the nest.

But, one thing my thoughts keep coming back to is this simple - but profound - story in the Bible.

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It's found in the Gospel narrative of Luke 10:38-42, where Jesus enters a village and is welcomed in to the home of Martha and her sister Mary.  Martha, understanding the importance of hospitality in that culture, was 'distracted with much serving'.  Mary simply sat at Jesus' feet and listened to his teaching.  I can imagine the vein bursting from Martha's forehead when she protests: "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Tell her then to help me" (!!).

Does Jesus agree?

Does He hurry Mary off to help with the important job of serving?

 No.

We see Him respond with: "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.  Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her".

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Serving, or sitting.

I feel Martha's priorities hammering on my own heart.

I desire Mary's passion to consume it.

Because productivity is like a drug to me.

If I can keep just enough things clean.  If I can check off just enough tasks on the 'to do' list.  If I can visit with enough people.  If I can juggle all the important parts of the day without being swallowed in to chaos...

... I can find my value in that accomplishment.

You know you struggle with this too, if you see anger in your life.

Anger often points to something that we love, but it's being threatened.

We get frustrated, we get angry when our to-do lists go unfinished.

We get mad when the kids distract us from that.one.task we just want to complete.

Because we love to get it done.

To feel that fresh 'hit' of success?

You see it in our conversations.

"How are you?"  "Busy, good!... you know, busy!!"

Because the business of busyness defines us as valuable.

I'm not saying productivity is bad.

I'm not saying let the chaos take over your home or workplace.

There are a lot of good things that can keep us busy.

There are a lot of good things that can keep us distracted from the one thing.

What one thing defines you?

Where do you find your identity?

I believe that where we find our identity, is where we rest.

A heart that does not know it's 'one thing' is the Martha heart - "anxious and troubled about many things".  There is a restlessness.  A running from thing to thing to find comfort, peace, security.... identity.

A heart that rests, is the Mary heart.

Found sitting at the feet of Jesus.

Holding to his teaching.

Leaning on his strength.

Trusting in his promises.

Practically how does that look for us in the harried days of daily life?

One way that I've been convicted lately is to make my 'quiet time'...my devotions of reading/study/prayer take place during the *sweet spot* of the day.

You know, that one precious hour when the kids are hopefully napping.

That delicious moment when you know you could be 20x more productive at cleaning the house, or catching up on e-mails, or fill-in-the-blanks...

I see this as the perfect moment to give a sucker punch to my productive heart.

To clearly show it that we are going to STOP. SIT. and be STILL at the Saviour's feet.

I'm not perfect at it.

I still have a throbbing vein in my forehead that wants to do instead of be.

But I see the sweet relief that comes from this rare rest.

I want more of it.

I want this to be my one thing.

Not to be a woman spread thin to a multitude of things... but to focus in, and go deeper through the One.

What's your one thing?

Is your heart anxious, or has it found this rest?

I pray it has.

Mel ;o)