Luke 10 :38 - 41 tell the story of Martha.
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
The School year is upon us. Weather we're ready for it or not. It's here and it looks very different that it has before. If you have kids getting ready to go in school or even grand-kids getting ready to go into school it seems like new information continues to flow out and maybe even change everyday. There's been a few times my wife has said did you see the email that came out today and in my brain I'm thinking "the email?" I saw like four. It's enough to make our heads spin. The start of the school year many times is like that though but this year just crazier. It's easy to get wrapped up in it all. Getting school supplies, figuring out the school schedule, do we have money in the lunch account or maybe this year your child wants to take lunch everyday.... do we even have lunch food at home. We frantically try to make sure every things perfect. This year maybe your child is doing distanced learning everyday or some days and we get to try and figure what days that's happening or do we have everything we need for that. The time to help you child through it, the knowledge to help with questions or even the internet capacity to keep things running throughout the day. Maybe you don't have kids in school and your faced with similar things with work trying to get everything done. All of a sudden your job is a continued time of putting out new and different fires that you weren't dealing with a year ago.
In the story about Martha she spends so much time worrying. Trying to get many things done. Whenever I hear this story I just picture Martha running around the house frantically doing all sorts of things around the house. Making meals, doing laundry, setting the table for dinner, vacuuming.......... It reminds me of a skit we used to do when I was a camp counselor called "Jesus is coming for dinner" It starts with someone at their house and Jesus calls them on the phone and says he's stopping by. The person has to get going and get everything ready for Jesus. Some one knocks on the door and has a flat time and needs help. The person doesn't have time for that Jesus is coming. Then again there's a knock on the door and it's another person that needs to make a phone call. Again no time for that person because Jesus is coming. This continues with a few more people stopping by all not important enough to stop getting ready for Jesus. Phone rings again and the person answers. It's Jesus and Jesus wants to know why they never let him in the house. Many of you probably saw where that was going. Jesus was there the whole time and the person just couldn't see him because they were too busy getting everything done.
This year there are many things going on and many things we have to be ready for. They are all important things. Things that need to be done to be ready for the coming school year but we have to be able to step back and just look for Jesus. How Jesus is playing a roll in all this. To be ready to just sit at his feet and listen to what Jesus is saying though it all.
I hope all have a great week. Whether you have kids going back to school or just trying to get everything done. We're all in this together and we'll all get through it together too.
Peace
-Ben
