Like Mary

Luke 10:38-40 "Jesus entered a village and a woman by the name of Martha welcomed Him and made Him feel quite at home.  Her sister, Mary, sat before Jesus hanging on to every word He said. Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen.  Later, she interrupted saying, 'Jesus, don't you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to help me.'  Jesus said, 'Martha, you're fussing too much and getting worked up over nothing.  One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it  -  it's the main course, and it won't be taken from her.'"

Greetings in the name of our miracle-working Jesus!

I wanted to revisit this passage from Tuesday because as I was reading and re-reading it, I realized I am more like Martha than I want to admit.  Notice how she welcomed Jesus and made Him feel quite at home.  Well, Jesus knows He is welcome my my house.  One of the first things I do in the morning is play praise and worship music as I putt putter around doing all the household stuff.   I sing at the top of my off-pitch voice and thank Him for letting me wake up and blessing me with family, friends, and Hershey Pie.   

But sometimes "I fuss too much and get worked up over nothing."  I feel scattered brained and like the 10 million things on my to-do list will never get done.  Sometimes when I am praying my mind will start to wander, and I think about the clothes in the dryer that needs folding or the paperwork I have on my desk.  And a couple of times I have even cut my prayer time short because someone is calling me on the phone. Frown.

Our dear Lord helps us puts life in perspective, "Only one this is essential, it's the Main  Course..."

Our Lord is the most important part of our day, and the Bible is filled with Christ's encouraging, powerful, life-changing words that we can all hang onto!  There's wisdom in sitting in at His feet and feasting on the Main Course.  The Bible says "it's to our advantage" to do so.   Christ knows we have other responsibilities; He's just reminding us that in the middle of our busy lives, He wants us to visit with Him.  He wants us to put our priorities in order.  He wants us to unwind and bask in His presence.  He wants to bless us and fill us with peace. 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, like Mary, we choose You today and every day.  We are blessed when we spend time with You and let You fill us with Your goodness.  We want to hang onto Your every Word, and the Word of the day is MAIN COURSE.  You are our priority, our first love, our King, our Savior, and our Guide.  Keep us and those we care about safe and tethered to You.  In Your name we pray, AMEN.    

A Better Way to Start the Day

Psalm 143:8 "Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life."

Greetings,

I typically wake up when Jorge kisses me on the cheek before he leaves for work at 6:30 AM.  I'll say, "Have a great day and come back to me, Babe." Then I will readjust the covers so Hershey Pie and I are all nice and cozy. and we will both fall back asleep until 7:30. That's when my day really begins.

It's always a flurry of activity as I take my vitamins, let Hershey out then in then out then in, look at my To-Do list and add more to it, turn on the news, put away the dishes, start fielding phone calls, check emails, fold the laundry, make my coffee with just a splash of cream no sugar, and on and on it goes...

But a couple of days ago I came across Psalm 143:8 and thought, "There's a better way to start the day!"

What if before I did any of the stuff above, before my head even left the pillow, I whispered to my Lord, "Let me hear of Your unfailing love and lovingkindness this morning, cause me to experience Your faithful and gracious mercy right now before I get out of bed. Show me where to walk, teach me the way I should go, because I give myself to You, I lift up my soul to You, and I long for You."

I believe with all my heart that God will always answer this prayer, and I can't wait until tomorrow morning.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We look forward to starting each morning with You.  There are so many things competing for our attention, but the only One Who can encourage us and show us how to live is You.  We trust You with our life and the lives of our families. In Jesus' name, AMEN!