Martha and Mary

I've heard the story many many times. Today I was consumed with the story. I placed myself as Mary and Martha.

As Martha: I was preparing dinner while Jesus sat in my living room. I was frustrated with Mary because she was sitting on her behind not helping or even offering to lend a hand. I began to become more and more angry slamming pots around and making all kinds of racket. I kept shooting angry glares towards Mary but she never took her gaze from Jesus. Wouldn't she want Him to have the perfect meal? Why wouldn't she help me? Surely Jesus will tell her she needs to help me. Let me go ask Him...

As Mary: I knew my sister was upset with me as the pots began to chime, ding and dong louder and louder, but I didn't care; I was with Jesus. I was sitting at His feet listening to His parables in His soothing voice and occasionally hearing His soft laughter. Why would anyone want to be doing anything other than listening to Jesus? No body should! I knew I was about to get it when Martha walked up...

As Martha: I stormed over to Jesus with hate in my eyes, heart and soul. Martha gets to enjoy Jesus while I slave away. 'This is going to change' I thought. I proceeded to question Jesus instead of my sister due to the fact she was already ignoring me. I spoke my [bitter] heart "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work?" Then I demanded "tell her to come and help me!"(Luke 11:40). Ha. That's it I embarrassed her in front of Jesus. Serves her right.

As Mary: I knew it was about to get ugly when Martha interrupted Jesus during one of His stories. She proceeded with a overly hateful question as a stab to me. As she finished her question a slight smirk appeared upon her face followed by a dumbfounded look when Jesus replied "My Dear Martha, you are worried about all the details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her" (vs. 42).

As Martha: After hearing Jesus speak I remembered to whom I was speaking to. I stepped back when I realized I had belittled the Lord. I was worried about getting thing completed. I didn't want to be seen as I saw my sister, lazy. It was me who was wrong. Jesus could have prepared dinner in the blink of His eye, but I forgot that. I truly was worried about the small things. I wasn't concerned with the fact JESUS WAS IN MY LIVING ROOM. I was worried about how things would turn out, but that shouldn't matter because Jesus would make them turn out perfect!

As Lindsey: I have been so distracted with the details. I have been having my quiet times to a God who is in heaven but not to and with one who is in the same room as me. I have been caught up in ME getting the details right but Jesus can perfect the details when I hand them over to Him. Jesus is perfect I am not in any way. I am a Martha. One is wanting things to go perfectly but unwilling to sit and listen to what Jesus wants to say to me because too many things would be left unfinished. I need to become Mary. One who listens and leaves the details up to Jesus. He will let them fall into place.

Summer Job

Yesterday we dropped Joshua off at the airport. He is going to be gone for two months without much communication. There will be some, but I don't know how often that will come. I am sad, but I am glad because I know the LORD will use him as a vessel.

Tomorrow I begin my summer job working as a youth intern at a church. I kick off my first day... week with VBS. I'm a going to hit the ground running. I cannot wait to see what the LORD does this summer in this town. I can feel the LORD already brewing something up.

Being BOLD for Jesus.

Lately the LORD has been showing me that He wants me to be bold(...like He has to show any of us that.. we should already know). Over and over again I hear "BE BOLD FOR THE GOSPEL AND THE SAKE OF JESUS CHRIST". I always feel convicted because I am not being bold for His sake. Here is when my passion started..

Last weekend at a d-now I was sitting, watching and listening to the voices singing praises to the LORD. I realized.. that's what I do most of my life.. sit and listen. He speaker had said earlier: "don't just sit and soak in Jesus, you can't hold Him to yourself. You need to be spreading what He showed you in your time with Him. Procalim His name!". When I was sitting I was asking the LORD what I was doing on an everyday basis for Him... I found exactly what I was doing... nothing. The this wonderful idea just happend to pop in my head... what if I simply wrote verses and handed them out to random people I don't know and told them about Jesus and prayed with them if they would allow me to. (We have handed out verses at the past two d-nows I've been to. Why do I only wait for weekends like that or specific 'mission' projects that someone else has planned? Or only with my friends, who are Christians, but now proclaiming the gospel to someone who might have never heard it before- this is what we are called to do).

SIMPLE.

That is exactly what I want to do. Go to places.. where ever I am.. Marshall, home, Dallas. To whoever needs to hear the words of the LORD.

I didn't do anything about it expect think 'how cool would that be?'... thinking about it is NOT nearly enough.

I read Isaiah 11:6-9 the other day. It talks about how we will all live in harmony together on day. For example: lions and lambs hanging out together and cobras and infants playing together. ENEMIES. Things that shouldn't be together are best friends! Verse 9 says "Nothing will hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain...the earth will be filled with people who know the LORD". Basically everyone lives in harmony because everyone knows the LORD. Imagine how much we could transform this world if we, as Christians, told people about Jesus! I know people, when they truly find Jesus will be a peace inside, but hopefully also if they are violent- physically or with their words-they will be at peace when they find Jesus. Imagine how drastically our world would change if people knew the LORD. What are we doing as Christian? What am I doing? I want people to live like one day we will in heaven. Peaceful and worshipful.

MY LIFE NEEDS TO BE A MISSION FOR CHRIST!
I'm working on it :)

Linds