“As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 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!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42
As a wife, mom, and ballet dancer, I often feel God knocking at the door of my heart, reminding me to enjoy and soak in what I am doing. Life gets busy, there are lots of errands to run, dishes to wash, pointe shoes to sow, kids to carpool, laundry to do, kiddos to feed, activities to get to, beds to make, lunches to make, exercise to squeeze in, trash to take out, choreography to learn, rehearsals to go to……
Do you catch my drift?
There is lots to do, and sometimes I forget to enjoy it! Sometimes I get so caught up in my “getting things done” mode that I forget to watch the sunset and be reminded of how big our God is, or to throw the frisbee with my boys instead of always doing the dishes, to just be still while my coffee is brewing and thank God for a new day instead of checking my email on my phone and making lunches WHILE my coffee is brewing. I can easily forget to notice the beautiful details that God is involved in in my day because I am moving too fast, plowing through all that needs to get done.
I think ballet can be that way too. I can get caught up in the details of perfecting my technique, perfecting the choreography, icing sore muscles, the details of my costume fitting just right, the details of getting to and from the theater and getting my stage makeup just right….all good, good things. But God reminds me to tap into the present moment. To ENJOY every moment, and to remember how fun this is! I want to get lost in the dance and in the character I am dancing and not be so distracted with details and all the behind the scenes stuff or worrying about who is watching. Again, I want to get lost in the dance.
I think with daily life, I want to get lost in those moments of real living…..the laughter of my children, the joy when Daddy gets home from work, the beauty of God’s creation, spring flowers blooming and beautiful sunsets, good conversations with family and friends over coffee or a good meal, quiet times with the Lord before everyone gets up, sweet conversations with my boys, and walks with the Lord on pretty days. I want to get lost in the dance of these beautiful moments. I want to get caught up in Jesus and be more aware of His precious gifts instead of getting caught up in distractions and to do lists.
Mary, she sat at Jesus’s feet. She stopped, paused, slowed down, and just listened to Him. I am sure she got up at some point to do what she needed to do, but she sat at His feet first. Work is good, thank God for work, and for giving us things to do, people to impact, and families to be apart of. But if I try to get everything done before I come to Jesus….well, I’ll never get it all done. There is always more stuff to be done. He urges us to come to Him first. To put Him first. Then He will provide the strength and energy we need for the rest of the day.
We put so much pressure on ourselves to do, do, do like Martha. Jesus is calling us to enjoy being in His presence. And to enjoy the precious gifts He has given us. So as a performance approaches, I will try to remember to enjoy this gift and have fun! And as the sun comes up and rolls out another day to begin as mom and homemaker of this home, I pray to remember to have fun! To laugh at myself a little, because Jesus wants me to laugh, to sing, to dance.
How about you?
Prayer: “Dear Lord, thank You for your countless gifts and forgive me for letting myself get caught up in the lists of things to do. Thank You for rescuing me from my tendency to plow through life. Thank You for loving me enough to remind me to slow down.”
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