I settle myself on the porch step with tea steaming.
It’s cold, but snow continues to recede under determined sun.
Chortles and trills and tweets and squawks and caws and peeps fill the air.
Two geese honk and circle before they land on the pond.
Stuff to be done stuffs my brain.
But still I sit.
I spy orange in the field.
Is it?
It is.
November-tossed porch pumpkin perches at field edge.
I must see this up close.
Frosty and flaky, it lifts light.
Feels like papier mache.
Taps hollow.
Popped and split.
I turn it over and note how brighter color remains where skin nests.
I suspect it will soon serve others.
Just by being.
Until it is gone.
Bill talked about Mary and Martha yesterday.
How Martha was more task oriented. How Mary was more people oriented.
How Martha was more into doing. How Mary was more into being.
As they continued on their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. ~Luke 10:38-40 (Message)
Martha welcomed him and made him feel at home. But then she was pulled away and later, of course, came back out (probably all sweaty and floured) to complain that Mary wasn’t helping.
“Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it–it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.” ~Luke 10:41-42 (Message)
Martha could have just made everyone cheese sandwiches and filled a plate with grapes. But she got carried away with the cookbooks and cooked up several courses. Kitchen piled with dishes.
Not a bad thing.
But she got busy with the doing and forgot the being.
She forgot that her serving should flow from being.
That serving the Master should flow from being with the Master.
Speaking of doing, I remember I have things to do.
And I go back inside.
But I’m distracted by red and blue.
And then I spy orange!
Spring!
I dance from window to window.
Snapping.
Snapping.
I forget that I have things to do.
Forget the Martha me.
In tune with the Mary me.
But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God–who chose you to be his children–is holy. For he himself has said, “You must be holy because I am holy. 1 Peter 1:15-16 (NLT)
Bill continues preaching, but I’m stopped cold. I never noticed before that “being” trumps “doing” 3:1 in these verses.
The doing flows from the being.
I go back outside.
I peel pumpkin skin aside and touch shriveled frozen flesh.
And in the peeling, my heart of flesh beats warm.
I have seen the Lord.
In the being.
I’ve played toward Him.
And now I have things to do.
Will you take time to just be this week?
Will you take some some to play towards Him?
Linking today with Laura and Michelle and L.L.
Someone is liking that new camera… caught a blue jay. Aren’t they tough to capture?
Love the pics.
They are! As well you know. 😉
But they were very cooperative today. 🙂
Just call me Martha. And thanks for the distraction, Mary.
So, Sissy, one of the best ways to Mary is to hold a sleeping baby. 🙂
truth be told, i rarely have much patience for the marys of this world. He’s at work in me, though, and i’m finding it easier to simply be and wait.
Welcome, Nicole! I just took a tour of your blog. There’s much beauty there.
Simply be and wait. It’s a good work. 🙂
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. ~Psalm 37:7
Oh my goodness! All this? MY heart is leaping with joy just reading about it. And that punkin? Ooey gooey fun! What a date with the King. One with wings even. 🙂
Giggling. That punkin isn’t ooey gooey yet. That’s for another date. 🙂
Better keep that robin around for awhile longer … it’s still pretty cold in the north!
{great photos}
They always come back too soon. At least it seems to me. Robin Arnold says it’s the “tough bucks” that come and build the nests. The gals won’t show up for a couple weeks.
And thanks! I’m loving me that camera. Still on auto, though.
What a great post, Sandy. And I love what you read in those verses from 1 Peter — the “be”ing preceeding the “do”ing. That is very perceptive reading…and I am grateful for it tonight (from one doing Martha to another!).
😀
This post is perfect, Sandy. I’m so Martha that I named my blog From Doing to Being to remind myself – every day – of what’s more important. I love that 3:1 ratio! And your photos are amazing…
Hi Kim,
Thanks! And now I must go explore your blog. 🙂
“I never noticed before that “being” trumps “doing” 3:1 in these verses.”…love it!…love His tender heart for both Mary and Martha and us…who waiver between the two
🙂 Amen to that. Thanks for coming by, Connie.
Love your post, what a joyful reminder that being does indeed trump doing!
🙂 Thanks so much. Nice to “see” you here.
Loved the entire unfolding of this, Sandra. So glad we may be dominant one way or the other, but we can experience the joy and freedom in the ‘indulging’ the other side! Great post and thanks. 🙂
Thanks, Jason. Always a balance, right?
Love the words and the pictures. Well done! God Bless You and You Bless God!
Oh – what fun to read and see. Thanks so much…
Thank you, Diana.
For me, just being involves shutting off the computer and participating in real life. I can get sidetracked so easily by this virtual world that I forget to go outside and soak up nature.
Oh, yes. Much to be gleaned from nature.
thanks for these thoughts …serving the Master should flow from being with the Master
this is very helpful
Thanks, Nancy.
This is lovely. I noticed the snow is gone. Robins are wonderful.
Still have patches of snow. A couple years ago we got 6 inches on the first official day of spring, so we’re not out of the woods yet. 🙂