Be Present (Luke 10:38-42)

The last couple of weeks has been very busy for me (mostly at work). In addition to work and social commitments, I am trying to keep up with friends and family, stay active on the Gay-Christian Bridges page and in the group, as well as stay up on various games I play with people over my phone. I find myself grabbing every moment I can, while riding the T...while helping my cousin's kids cook, to catch up with these things on my phone. I constantly feel behind and often find myself trying to catch minutes to do these things while I am with other people. Just think about that...I am spending time with a person in real life and trying to multitask to play Words with Friends or check Facebook...

When I recognize what I am doing, I can't help but think of the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:

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!”

I, like Martha, am becoming distracted by other things, when what I need to be doing is focusing on relationship with the person in front of me.


When Martha becomes so focused on other things, Jesus says to her,

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Jesus reminds her to focus on what is important.
 
My boyfriend and I have a reminder phrase we use to help ourselves to focus on relationship and the person in front of us: Be Present. It is the reminder that we use to point out to the other know that their focus is split and it isn't where it should be. It started as something one of us would say to the other, but now, both of us find ourselves commented on our own behavior when we are not being present.

Not only can I have issues being present with those around me, but with God as well. This past week, my small group started a study on Jesus' prayers. One of the main points of the first teaching was that Jesus had a practice of prayer. It wasn't just a talk to God sometimes. It was intentional time spent with God. Jesus often went away from people and spent all night in prayer. He was very present with God and his power came from this close relationship. I feel challenged by this because it can be very easy for me to let busyness distract me from my relationship with God as well. I need the reminder of Martha and Mary of a regular basis.

Do you find yourself multitasking and tapping into social media, texting, games, etc while you are with other people? DO you find other thoughts encroaching on your time with God? Do you need to BE PRESENT more?

Take a minute to do a little self evaluation. Are you like Martha? Are you like Mary? Maybe you too want to adopt the phrase Be Present into your life.