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Mixed Up and Scattered
Joe Killian • July 13, 2016
I finished my work early yesterday and decided I needed to get some things done around the house. Of the many things on my mind, the new tile in my bathroom was only about 25% complete and I was feeling pressure to get it done. First I had to clean things up because I stopped abruptly when laying the last section of tile. That activity lead to tidying up my workbench that was desperately disorganized. Before long I was caught up in the midst of... A photo explains it better:
What does this mess have to do with this week's Gospel you ask? Read on and hopefully you'll understand.
Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” Luke 10:38-42
In this well-known dialogue between Jesus and His friend Martha, Jesus must have surprised Martha with His response. Because she was busy doing "good" things, Martha expected Jesus to correct Mary's behavior. Surely it was better to be doing something and not just sitting around. No! Mary had chosen the better part. "There is need of only one thing." Sit at the feet of the Lord! Be in His presence!
I sat down on the garage floor and began organizing the bolts, nails and screws that were all mixed up and scattered around. I often find my mind scattered and my thoughts all mixed up. Have you ever felt that way? Yesterday the simple act of being present in that moment brought me peace and allowed me to relax. My priorities changed and I wasn't as worried about all that needed to be done. My anxiety about the floor tile had vanished and the mess is gone!!!
Now imagine the impact in our lives when we choose to sit down at the feet of the Lord and listen to what He is saying to us. I am convinced that the more we sit in His presence the "better". This is especially important when we are mixed-up and scattered. And ultimately because we are focused on the Lord, more of the truly important things get done.
The story continues...I'm still working on the pondless waterfall in our front yard. I shared this project with you two weeks ago in Playin' In the Dirt. Since then I've had to rework sections of the stream three different times because we were losing too much water. I am now an expert on evaporation rates and excessive splash, two causes of water loss. This morning I tore the whole thing apart and I'm starting over.
Have you ever watched DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda? I stumbled across it recently and thoroughly enjoyed Jack Black's performance as a bumbling, noodle selling, kung fu enthusiast, giant panda named P o. Set in ancient China, it is more than a humorous slapstick comedy. The core message of the story jumped out at me as I have been focusing recently on the concept of being. Po is shockingly identified as the Dragon Warrior and he reluctantly enters training. The goal of the training is to receive the Dragon Scroll, which is believed to hold the secret to limitless power. Now I don't want to spoil the big reveal but I will say that what Po realizes is the same as what I speak to in the concept of being and authentic identity. So, where do we find the secret to our "power?" I praise You, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works! My very self You know. Psalm 139:14 God knows it; and we must seek Him with all of our hearts in order to find it. As it was in the movie, the answer is stunningly simple. Our authentic identity is already within us. The challenge for Po in the movie was in seeing himself accurately and not the way others saw him. Even his teacher scoffed at the idea that Po was anything more than an underachieving dreamer who overate when he was anxious. Po's problems are rooted in the fact that he believes the lie of his false identity much more than he does his authentic one. Is it possible that you do the same? Who could have imagined that beneath all of Po's girth lived the Dragon Warrior? What's hidden from view in you? Seek God for understanding as to who He created you to be. Spoiler Alert: the secret of your limitless power is already in you. God placed it there and He wants you to be who He authentically created you to be.
Maria and I have been playing in the dirt a lot recently. First we replaced our French drain and then we embarked on a creative project intended to change the entire look of our front yard. My brother Jeffrey and I installed a new front step.
