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Don't let life be taken away

“ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’ “
Luke 10: 41-42

For a moment lets pause.  Lets pause and put our names in where Martha’s name is.  Jesus had come to the home of Mary and Martha and instead of enjoying the event, Martha ran around trying to make sure everything was perfect.  Are you like that?  Do you have an event take place, and then don’t even get to enjoy it?  I am exactly like that.  I was an event planner for a not-for-profit and at any event that we did, I would run around and around and around trying to ensure that everything was just so and that everyone was enjoying themselves and the program was going off without a hitch.  I loved it.  It was invigorating to me.  I think because I am a control freak and it made things easier if I just controlled everything. 

I even did this with my little sister’s wedding recently.  I ran around keeping them on schedule, keeping everyone else on a schedule and writing checks etc…, that I forgot to take a few minutes to relax and actually enjoy the reception.  Don’t get me wrong, I loved it, but I didn’t get to just sit back and take it all in.  I am just that type of person.  Many people just aren’t wired that way, and thank goodness- it would be so annoying! 

I have devotioned before about Mary and Martha, about those that are doers and those that are not.  This story hits me again though.  It hits me smack dab in the face, telling me, stop it!  Stop running around and enjoy life.  Enjoy your family, your kids, the events that you are going to.  Stop thinking about what you have to do next, start thinking and enjoying what you are doing now.  Stop having a list 7 miles long, start having fun for the next 7 miles of your life. 

I am not saying that it is bad to be this way, but we need to enjoy being in God’s presence.  We need to take time to breathe and be with Him in prayer.  We need to take a few minutes of every day to sit and listen without thinking about what we need to tell him or what we need to do next.  Lets choose better, because all this other stuff, all the plans we make will be taken away from us, but listening to God and being with Him, that can’t be. 

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