What gets lugged into each day?

 

Since Piper’s devotional for today was the last of a long one split into three days, I had another look at what Callaway had to say in his little book. He hit me with his description of taking too much stuff in his golf bag and how that was ruining his game. 

“I’ve got the full set, plus a driving iron. I’ve got an oversized 1-wood named Bertha and a ball retriever in case she misfires. My pockets are heavy with coins and ball markers and tees and car keys. The mosquitos where I live show up on radar screens, so I throw in a generous bottle of repellant. And sunscreen. And Band-Aids. One can’t be over-prepared, so I bring along bottled water, aspirin, and a knife that doubles as a club head cleaner, a cleat tightener, a bottle-top remover, and an alarm clock. I keep an extra jacket in my bag, too. Rain pants. An umbrella. Club head covers. And a coupon book that expired last September. Lugging all these accessories around the course made the rounds miserable, so I bought a small pull-cart to help me. Now I have a place to carry two more pop cans, the scorecard, four tees, and some extra pencils. If this continues, I’ll have to buy another cart.”

Of course this relates to life. While he compared it to “picking up a load of fear” and filling his mind with concerns he was not meant to bear, I compared it to my to-do list. Today it has a shopping errand, some laundry, email to answer, update two blogs, send a gift to someone, purge the storage room, read portions of three books, work on two quilts, plus the usual meals and household chores not listed. Never mind any interruptions, phone calls, or other things not written down that might pop up. Yikes.

Yesterday’s sermon was from this familiar passage:

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38–42)

I’ve always considered myself a ‘Mary’ but see how easily I slip into being “anxious and troubled about many things.” Even if I never forget to have devotions, how many times do I really listen to Jesus before starting anything else? The pastor stressed the importance of choosing the best portion before doing even the good things on our agenda. For me, it was helpful because seeking His will makes a difference in how the day goes. For one thing, it seems longer, and I make less mistakes. However, he also said that listening is not just waiting for my turn to talk or to make excuses for not having time to listen.

Callaway’s writing pushes me to consider that long list. What does Jesus say about it? Is some of it not important or non-essential? Am I burdening myself with extras ‘just in case’ rather than trusting Him for whatever might come up?

Of course lunch had to be made. The doing of it was not Martha’s problem. He spoke to her about her anxiety and attitude toward her work. Mary was being settled by taking instruction first. She no doubt helped Martha after that, but not before listening to the One who wants His servants to be at peace and find joy in all that we do.

PRAY: Thank You Jesus for all that You teach me. I sit and listen at church, yet know that listening ought to be a 24/7 attitude. You want me to know what You know and think how You think about everything, not just my list. Who knows… You might take things off it or even add things to it, but at the end of the day, knowing I’ve listened to You and followed Your instructions results in great rewards for making that choice.