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Day 178---- Blog #4! Martha, Mary and Dancing with God!




I have gone back and forth with what I wanted to write about this week….but feel pretty strongly about this topic.  In a Bible study that I am doing…we are talking about Martha and Mary.  You may know the story and you may not…if you have a Bible read Luke 10: 38-42.  If you don’t…well, here is the story. 


At the Home of Martha and Mary

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.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”





 
So---last week I talked about moments and schedules and trying to be still, etc.  I tend to think of myself as a Martha – busy and sometimes a Mary – choosing what is best and sitting at the feet of Jesus.  Let’s face it…I am busy being a mom, a wife, a chef, a maid, a chauffeur, an entertainer, a teacher, etc---we are all busy going about our lives.  These are blessings…good things to be blessed with.  But Jesus is a good thing too.  I don’t think that being a Martha is a bad thing…I think that God has given us all unique talents and it is how we use those talents that can please God.  I believe that as long as we choose Jesus first and then go about our day with Jesus on our minds…we can still be a little bit of a Martha.  1 Corinthians 10:31 talks about everything we do should bring glory to God: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”


Wendy Blight, from Proverbs 31, recently did a Bible Study on this and she states these steps to help put Jesus first.  To have a quiet time with Jesus!

1.       Set  a goal…start small

2.      Be Consistent…find a time of day and place

3.      Be Organized

Invite Jesus to join you

Read the Word

Listen for God’s voice

Pray


“Mary taught us to take time to sit at the feet of Jesus…to soak in His Word…to listen for His voice.”  ~Wendy Blight




When we are scared, anxious, stressed out and just can’t take it anymore…let’s take it to Jesus and sit for awhile.  Commit to it and take Him with you throughout your day.  


I recently came across this write up called Dancing With God:


Dancing With God
(Author Unknown)

 
“When I meditated on the word guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of
the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't
flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to
flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the
back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two
become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender,
willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and
skill from the other.

 
My eyes drew back to the word guidance.
When I saw "G," I thought of God,
followed by "u" and "i."
"God, "u" and "i" dance."
God, you, and I dance.
This statement is what guidance means to me.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance
about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead.”


I think this ties in beautifully with this week’s message.  Sitting at the feet of Jesus, allowing Him to guide- taking His lead…will make for a beautiful dance in life.  Trying to do it on my own or taking the lead will only make it harder for me.  When reading what God has to say about dancing…I always think of the movie Footloose (the one from 1984 with Kevin Bacon---because let’s face it…that is the BEST one and REAL Footloose—anywho….) and Ren McCormick fighting to have a dance in his town.  He reads from Ecclesiastes 3: 1-4


A Time for Everything

 


There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

    a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
    a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
    a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,



For me…I’m going to put God first, be more of a Mary and dance with God!


 



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