The Bitter Side of Busy

When I get Home I have big plans of a big coffee date with two women I have related to all too well in my life here on earth.  I haven't found a specific scripture in the Word declaring there will be no coffee in heaven, so I'm holding on to this aspiration pretty tightly.

You see, it's in a home in a small village that I find myself in often, in my mind anyways. Right there torn between two of the most talked about women of the Bible.  Both doing good things.  Neither one bringing a tainted tale to the story.  Both with a heart towards their God.  Yet two very different ways of expressing it.  It's in this seemingly simple encounter with the Living God we see what He calls important.  

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"  "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed--or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."  (Luke 10:38-42)

Ya'll I'm just dying to ask them-what was that moment like?  Mary, how did you block everything else out and just put aside the demands?  Cause sister I want that!  And Martha, what was it that just pushed you over the edge that you went off grumbling and complaining?  Did someone leave their water glass out so long it left a sweaty mess?  Girl-that always get me in a dither too I hear you.  Cause sometimes you think you must be the only one doing a THING and suddenly bam-you've lost it.  Me.  Too.

But then Jesus.  Oh, ya'll.  He doesn't come in reprimanding both of them.  After all you've got Martha who is just chasing after the doing and serving of her God instead of chasing after her God and you've got Mary who was going against the cultural norm.  If you want to get technical let's look at her facts for a second-she was a woman at the feet of Jesus-and for that time and society that was just a huge no no.  But He was wrapped up in her longing for intimacy with Him.  We see right there His priority on relationship.  I'm reminded of the simple but terrifying fact-"busy" is always the enemy of relationships.

Marriage.  Friendships.  Family.  Any label will do, "busy" will threaten to ruin them.  If I don't have time to nurture them, I won't have time to pray over them, pour time into them, notice when something has gone off the track and needs fixing asap.  I'm just too busy.

As women we claim to be excellent multitaskers.  I'll be the first to stand up and say, I respectfully disagree sisters.  I am beginning to think real multitasking doesn't exist even.  It's just a label I throw on when I'm trying to do 10 things at once and not doing any of them well.  Really well.  

Sometimes when I know life has gotten away from me and I'm too busy I can almost hear Him whisper over me-Sweet child, you're missing it.  That has come over me multiple times, typically leaving me in tears in the most seemingly inopportune moments.  But there is so much at stake and so much to miss that it's too important to not guard against.  

When I find myself in that little home in that little village in between my heart with Mary at the feet of Jesus and the mind of me to stay focused and get things done with Martha I notice something.  When Jesus said in verse 42 that Mary had chosen what was better I take a closer look at what Martha did not choose.  Do you know what it was?  Do some reading around in the chapters before and after.  You'll see it too.  

Mary sat at the feet of Jesus during His final week on earth before His crucifixion.  Martha didn't.  

A week later Jesus would be dead as far as they knew.  It would be over.  Hope was gone.  I wonder if Martha thought back to that room the week before, to that to-do list she tried so hard to accomplish.  I wonder if she wept with those "if only" thoughts.  If only I would have known!  The dishes could have waited.  The plans could have been made the next day.  The preparations paled in comparison to the feet of my Lord.  

No, my to-do list is not shorter these days.  My planner is full.  My mind is whirling.  

I'm lingering longer with my Jesus anyways.   

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