Martha Moments

Last night I hosted our Home Cell Group's fellowship. I hurriedly left work for home so that I could settle down and quickly prepare a snack. A colleague was selling freshly baked cakes so I bought one and  passed by the supermarket to get some groceries. I left the cake at the left-luggage section then went in. While on the queue I saw an old pal we got all chatty until I completely forgot about my cake. When I was just about to get off the matatu this guy seated next to me says 'I can see you forgot something at Uchumi...am like uh? then I saw the left-luggage tag still in my hand, dang! there goes my cake.........

When the fellowship finally kicked off I was so busy in the kitchen doing things that I cant even explain because I had already prepared the snacks and set the table so that I would just sit and follow God's word. My siz decided not to join us but I could hear her giggling from the bedroom when the singing started. The main worship leader wasn't there yet and whoever led the worship was a bit off key, okay WAY off key, I guess that's why she was all giggly. We were done after about 2hours as is the norm and  then I went to see them off. After they all drove off I exchanged pleasantries with the watchman as usual:

Him: Hawa walikua wageni wako kumbe? Nilidhani ni wa number 7 (so those were your guests? I thought they were going to number 7) 
Me: Yes
Him: Ghai fafa si ni wa church? (Oh my God arent they church goers?)
Me: Yes si mimi nakuanga nimeokoka (yes because I am saved)
Him: loooooong laughter. Well number 7 is 'visibly' saved according to him it would have made more sense if they were headed there as opposed to my place. He got some nerve uh?

Note to self, maybe I should change my greeting to 'praise God' instead of teasing them about irrelevant stuff! Okay let me explain, I live in the same house that I lived before I was saved. I would go out every weekend and of course come back in the wee hours of the morning high as a kite so the night watchmen knew me. And boy did I have noisy friends. So that explains the looong laughter :(

Anyway when I got back to the house my friend sent me a text to ask me how the fellowship was and what the reading was about, that's when it hit me, I had NO idea because clearly I wasn't listening! Dang. Yes, I am so serious! As in I don't even know which verse they read, I heard tiny bits of testimonies about integrity so I thought that it was about integrity, or maybe not. That was a MARTHA MOMENT for me! I was so so busy in the kitchen distracted by so many other things that God's word passed me by just like that and it was right under my roof. And to think I was all nasty that everyone else was sitted while I was busy moving up and down, well doing nothing exactly. But who told me to do it? fine I was hosting but I had prepared snacks so I dont have to keep moving up and down!

Luke 10: 38-42 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.”

I should have chosen to sit and listen to God's word FIRST. But that is exactly how we allow ourselves to get distracted by things around us instead of pursuing God's own heart just like David. We always try to make everything just right 'running around' on our own trying to get the perfect car, the perfect job, the perfect spouse instead of just sitting at the feet of Jesus and waiting for Him to make things perfect at His own time! Mary chose the right thing, she chose to sit and listen to Jesus, even when she knew so well that her place was to help Martha in the kitchen, but hey, the dishes aint going anywhere that can wait!.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
 Martha's character was also shown when Lazarus died. Read John 11: 1-44. Martha was anxious but some versions say Mary was still and even stayed at home when she heard Jesus was coming, no she didn't run around acting all crazy and shouting like Martha. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. ²¹ Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

I guess Mary was preparing her heart and praying because when Jesus asked for her she was ready to go and heard him call. (verse 28) and she didn't shout as Martha had done but bowed down and worshiped and Jesus feet. (verse 32)

I desire to have Mary's character as opposed to Martha's. I  long to sit at His feet and wait on Him instead of allowing myself to be distracted by the many earthly stuff. When everything goes crazy just like Mary I wanna be Still and wait upon Him instead of talking over God and missing out on what he has to tell me.