Moving from Martha mode to Mary time

³⁸Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." ⁴¹But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; ⁴²there is need of only one thing.

Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away.  (Luke 10:38-42)

I seem to be caught in Martha mode these days.  I know better.  I have preached about the importance of engaging in "the better part."  I have chastised and nagged colleagues and friends about nourishing their souls and caring for themeselves as a child of God.  I have taught about the importance of discerning between urgent things (those things that scream for attention NOW) and essential things (those things which are living giving and soul quenching).   But I have been busy paying attention to all of the screaming urgent things lately, to the neglect of those essential things.  I find myself wanting to tell somebody to find themselves a different Martha because this pilgrim wants some Mary time.

The problem is, there is no one at whom I can scream.  I am the culprit here.  I can stop Martha mode.  I can close my ears to the screaming of the urgent and allow the song of the essential things to echo deep in my soul.  And I have not.  The question I have to ask myself is why.  Why is it that I am unable (unwilling?) to put a halt to Martha mode and make my own Mary time?  I can make all sorts of excuses, but the real reason is sin.  Sin is what causes me to neglect the single-most important relationship in my life and be wooed away by louder voices, shiny baubles, and the praise of people that comes with being a hard-worker and over-acheiver.

Listening to music while exercising tonight, I heard these lyrics:  "All I want to do is give this life to you, and let your will be done, until its all I want to do."  (Ginny Owens: All I Want to Do).  My initial thought was, "Me too!"  But then it hit me.  I cannot give my life to God.  It was God's in the first place.  Given to me and redeemed by Jesus.  And God's will, WILL be done - with or without me.    That is where my doggone sinfulness creeps in.  I forget that who I am, what I am, every day, every breath, and everything I do is God's and NOT mine.  I actually think that this life is my own.

So maybe for a few days or a few hours, more likely for a few minutes, the Holy Spirit will move me from Martha mode to Mary time.  Your will be done, Lord.