Seeking to Become a Mary.

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“But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?
Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘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.’”
Luke 10:40-42  English Standard Version

I have always been a very busy and restless person. Staying calm and listening to others does not come easily to me. If I try to sit still, I feel guilty for not getting a task off of my mental “to do” list.

Instead of living in the moment, and focusing on the important matters in life, I am fixated on the next task, job, chore, or responsibility. Cluttering up the quiet spaces can be quite easy in today’s society. I can simply log onto Facebook, check my email, or turn on the television to add to the chaos and further the workload.

In this passage from Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is addressing Martha about her agitated behavior and fixation on what is not important in that moment. He understands her compulsory need to be everything to everyone, and her inability to be calm and fed with what is truly important in life. I am convicted of my harried life and anxious attitude.

So many of us fall into this same trap…..worried about all of the things that we think we need to accomplish, as well as fixating on future issues and possible problems. Is it wrong to plan? No, but when it starts to consume your life, your vision about God’s plan and His word becomes blurred.

Today, I will focus my eyes and thoughts on what God would have me accomplish. I will stop, breathe and pray. I will listen to what is truly important, and dismiss that which will not matter tomorrow, next week, next month or years from now!

Photo and Text Copyright: Darcia Kunkel