Mary and Martha

I was happy to get in to church for service this morning. Things really have been crazy on the weekends, and I've been playing catch-up with myself, so I felt I could fit it in today, and I needed it. As with other daily activities, there is always something to learn and a relevant message to apply to my life and present situation. Today's lesson, taken from Luke in the New Testament reads as follows:

³⁸Now 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.    ³⁹And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.
   ⁴⁰But 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.
   ⁴¹And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
   ⁴²But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

 For me and for most of you, this is very relevant. One way to take this story is to realize we are like Mary at times and at other times we resemble Martha. At times we can get caught up and anxious about tasks and preparations and other events in our lives that we don't take the time to be focused on the moment, and the importance of now. It is the time we spend on now, essentially what we can do today that will help us lead into the worries and events of tomorrow anyway, right? What is truly important? What can we do today that will help us learn more and be sharper tomorrow? If we are so focused about the tasks involved in serving or worried about what steps need to be taken to achieve an outcome, the actual event is missed! My mother-in-law and I were discussing how at times when we have family and guests over we are so worried about cooking and preparing, even while guests are present that we miss much of the time we have to spend with the people we care about and were preparing for in the first place. Think about it. Do you find yourself anxious and caught up in tasks at times too much so that you miss out on what's really important? What is important to you right now? Focus on that, and trust in the Lord as your guide, and your life will improve. I plan to do my best to clear my own head and focus on the "now". Enjoy the rest of your weekend, peeps, and feel free to chime in with your own thoughts and feelings regarding this story and/or stories of your own! Thanks for reading!