Jane, Stop This Crazy Thing! Part 3

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say the challenge I gave you last week was more difficult than you expected. (If you are scratching your head wondering "what challenge?" you may not have noticed this is part 3 of a series. Go back two entries, and begin with part 1)


The challenge was two-fold. 1) To write down where your time goes in an average day. 2) To take an honest look at your approach to planning. Whether you wrote it down or just walked your day(s) with more of an awareness, I'm guessing you learned a lot. As I admitted last week, I sure did.

So what did you learn? Did you discover that your unstructured approach to planning has you simply responding to whatever, or whomever, is screaming the loudest. Or did you discover that your structured approach to planning has you scheduling your response to whatever, or whomever, is screaming the loudest NEXT year. Quit laughing, I'm guessing most of us know (all too well) the frustration that comes from living both of the above extremes.

So how does the "unstructured" woman find balance? The same way the "structured" woman finds balance. She learns...

Let me begin by saying, God knew we would struggle in this area and has given us many examples throughout His Word. The one I have chosen is one that most deeply touches my heart as a woman, it is the story of sisters, Martha and Mary. (Luke 10:38-42)

Do you remember the story? Martha was the sister that opened her home up to Jesus. May I point out, that Martha opened her home to Jesus because she could. Because she was prepared. Preparation is NOT a bad thing. However, Martha became so distracted by her "busyness" that she nearly missed out on the "necessary" part. And not only that, she was ticked at her sister, Mary, because she was not distracted.

Can't you just hear her in the kitchen banging the pots and pans together, hoping someone would come in ask her what was wrong. When no one came, and when she could take it no more, she marched in there and unloaded her frustration "busyness" on Jesus. She said, I am doing all the work, and here sits my sister!!!! Lord, make her help me!

His response, (I believe with a smile on His face, because she had to be such a site) "Martha, Martha, you are bothered and worried, about many things. But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen well, and it will not be taken from her"

I am so thankful that God has given us examples of women, like us, in His Word. I must admit, I can easily get distracted, and bothered, by many things. And if I do not spend sufficient time sitting at His feet - I (like Martha) am fully capable of becoming out of balance, distracted by good things and missing the better things.

Today, we will again take out our planners. This time we will commit it to God. Asking Him to show us any good things that have become distractions. Asking Him to show us anything that is keeping us from choosing (like Mary) well.

When's the last time you put all distractions aside and sat at the feet of Jesus? Begin again today.

Father God, you know us better than we know ourselves. As we sit and listen to Your voice each day, we learn to trust Your heart. May we settle for nothing less than Your best. That is when we discover how to live a life of purpose, and to live life on purpose. Amen.