Luke 10:38-42
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.”
When I was about 8 or 9 years old, I had the privilege of spending a lot of time with both sets of my Grandparents in Shawnee, Oklahoma. On my Mother’s side of the family, my Grandparents lived on a beautiful 15 acre place with a lake and lots of trees right in town. Their home was a large custom built single story house with a big porch.
We loved to take the cane poles down to the lake and fish for mostly perch because there were so many of them. Once in a while, we caught a bass, but we always threw them back in.
There was a lot of shoreline to walk on pretty days, but we had to also watch for snakes.
One sunny spring day, my Grandfather, Pop-Pop, and I were walking around the lake just passing time and enjoying the scenery when suddenly, Pop-Pop stretched his arm out to stop me. “Don’t move”, he said. I looked at him puzzled. “There’s a snake”, he said. I looked in front of me to see a very big and long water moccasin sprawled out on the ground ahead about 20 feet away.
“Stay really still and be very quiet while I go get my gun.” he whispered. “Don’t move at all and keep your eye on him”. I was on point like a bird dog.
As he slowly backed away, he began to make his way to the house, which was about as far as the length of a football field. I followed my Grandfather’s directions, staring at the snake as it laid still in the grass near a tall cedar tree. I did not move and neither did the snake.
After a few minutes of a staredown, I heard my Grandmother, Muzzy, yell from the house, “Mike! Are you alright?!!” I turned my head in her direction to let her know that I was OK as I stood perfectly still but took my eyes off of the snake to acknowledge her. I saw my Grandfather walking briskly toward me with a rifle in his hand.
As I looked back toward the snake, it had disappeared! Just that quick, I turned my head and it was gone. Pop-Pop showed up with the gun and began looking for the snake too. All at once, I saw him raise his .22 rifle. I followed the barrel with my eyes and saw the snake on a small limb in the top of the cedar tree, ready to drop if we walked by.
“Stand back!” my Grandfather warned me. I took one step back as he shot and the snake fell dead to the ground. Pop-Pop was a bonafide expert marksman and had the medals to show for it.
Snakes still give me the
I tried to follow the DIRECTION given to me by my Grandfather, but when my Grandmother yelled to me from the house; it took my attention away and became a DISTRACTION.
When God has given us DIRECTIONS through the Holy Spirit and His Word, it is so important to stay focused. But, there are so many DISTRACTIONS in the world. We are facing one right now in the COVID-19 pandemic.
For some people, it has caused widespread panic and fear. For others, it has been a DISTRACTION from normal patterns and habits. But, for others, it has become a time to focus even more on what God wants to say and look to Him for DIRECTION.
It is looking more and more like we may be locked down in our homes and if that is what helps, then that is what I will do. Even at home, there are many things to distract me. The internet, TV, my phone. But I also have an opportunity to seek God. An opportunity to pray for our world. An opportunity to listen to what God is telling me. THAT is the ONE THING that is most important. That is my DIRECTION from God Almighty.
Martha was distracted by everything going on around her in the home to make sure things were just right. She was no doubt busy getting things done. But Mary, dear Mary, sat in one place, listening to what Jesus was saying. Listening for direction in her life. It was the most important thing she could listen to. The one thing that truly mattered.
Don’t let the problems going on around you to become a DISTRACTION. Use this time to listen to Jesus and hear the ONE THING that matters. Listen for His DIRECTION.
“It isn’t about God’s plan for your life. It’s about your life for God’s plan.” – Mike Higley
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