We all know that life is a balancing act of time management between jobs, relationships, hobbies, eating, sleeping, church, exercise and entertainment… and whatever else may be on your priority list. If you were to compare each of these to Hula Hoops, how many hoops could you hold and swivel on your body at once? Now there’s funny mental picture!
This month my life’s seemed extra busy preparing student report cards, planning parent conferences, working extra hours at the church café, preparing a staff devotional, planning for a week long substitute, packing my luggage and preparing my mind to leave on a 10 day tour in Israel, as well as, start thinking about a school chapel to present of my Holyland trip upon my return. Whew! Several times within the past week, I’ve silently prayed, “Lord, I don’t think there’s enough time each day to get this all done!”
Thankfully, God has supplied me with many friends who pray for me; and, he’s given me sufficient time to organize, plan, prepare, and still have time to participate in a couple leisure activities-even write this blog!
In preparing to give my testimony and short devotional with my coworkers I found this excerpt to read about wisely prioritizing our time between work and worship. From the highly recommended book Having A Mary Heart in a Martha World, Joanna Weaver writes…
“Life is filled with Hula-Hoops. We all have responsibilities, important things that need our attention. If we’re not careful, however, our hearts and minds can be consume with the task of keeping them in the air. Rather than centering ourselves in Christ and letting the other elements of our lives take their rightful place around that center, we end up shifting our attention from one important to-do item to another, frantically trying to keep them all in motion.
It’s easy to forget that while there is a time to work, there is also a time to worship-and it’s worship, the time we spend with God, that provides the serene center to a busy, complex life.
Mary, from Bethany, did not fall for that. She knew the difference between work and worship. Martha did not. That is why she nearly missed the better part.
I can almost see Martha as she greeted Jesus on his way through Bethany. I don’t suppose the Hula-Hoops were actually visible as she came out to meet him, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a slight movement around Martha’s hips. “Come in! Come in!” she probably said “Mi casa, su casa! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to check the soup.”
I, too, have been guilty of giving my Lord a breathless hello and a quick hug. I’ve welcomed him into y life and gotten him situated, but then moved on like Martha, frantically moving on to other duties.
Mary did not do that. She dropped her Hula-Hoops and sat at his feet. Who has time for recess games when you’re in the presence of the wisest Teacher who ever lived?
Stereotypes keep us from embracing truth. The story of Mary and Martha was never meant to be a psychological profile or a role play in which we choose the character with whom we most identify. This is a story of two different responses to one singular occasion. In it, we should find not our personality type, but the kind of heart Christ longs for us to have.
A heart centered in him alone.”
Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God…”
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