And other tales of distraction
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As a treat, while my teenager and I finished an early morning thrifting run, I picked up a burger for him and some of our favorite egg bites for me and my husband.
When we got home, I had a couple of things to do quickly and he needed to wait until he finished something to get his breakfast, too. So, in the dog-proof microwave for safe keeping they went.
I’m sure most if not all of you can relate, I was doing laundry, working on something at my desk, helping my son and probably a handful of other things at the time when I had a second to grab my breakfast. I favor the egg white and roasted red pepper egg bites, but my husband is a bacon lover. Fresh coffee in one hand, and my egg bites in the other, I sat down at my desk and started working away.
Work, bite, work, bite…wait. This is yummy but tastes a bit bacon-y. Yep, I had my husband’s egg bites and had eaten half of one. Ran back to the kitchen to swap it out. My son came in and had something to say or ask, like normal life, and I continued to fix the egg-bite diabolical and listen/respond to him. I probably changed laundry or something in these minutes too before getting back to my work at hand at my desk.
Work, bite, work, bite…huh? This too tastes like bacon and cheese. Did they not give me the egg white bites today? Back to the kitchen, microwave, I open up the bag and what to my wondering eyes appear? An intact pack of roasted red pepper eggbites. Here, I place yet another half eaten of my husband’s bacon one and split one of mine for him. Now, he has 4 halves of 4 different egg bites. That should confuse him.
I explained that somehow, SOMEHOW, not once, but twice in the same few minutes, I mistook his breakfast for mine! He didn’t care about his food, he’s easy like that, but he did sorta wonder if I was ok or not!
Distractions are part of life, for every one of us, there’s no arguing that point. If you’re a mom of young children, I know you have stories of what I call stupid-silly things you’ve done out of the pure distraction of raising children (things stupid-silly such as putting car keys in the refrigerator, or cat food in your husband’s lunch bag and the like, comment and share, we’d all love to feel better in the fact that we’re not the only ones suffering in this way!) Yet, there’s another side of distraction we should be just a little more aware of so it’s not so disruptive.
We know her as the Mary’s sister here in Luke.
Luke 10:41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
I think we get from this account the wrong message sometimes, and that is, Mary was good and Martha was not. But that isn’t what the Lord was pointing out. Martha was being hospitable. Hospitality is good! Have you had friends over for a meal or coffee/tea? Did you prepare and did you then put your feet up while you had company in your home and at your table? I bet things were neat, tidy, pretty and well planned and executed as you entertained and fellowshipped with your friends and family. I can see the same for Martha, she was distracted with doing good things. As their host, she was serving well her guests. But this good was not necessary, and there was a better good to be had.
I know this week’s breakfast eating mix-up was simply stupid-silly, but our busyness as women in our homes is a real threat to the greater good most of the time. If we’re not careful, we’ll miss meeting with Jesus for something not nearly as important (even breakfast).
I hope to encourage you this very day to think about what you’re missing. Have you spent time with the Lord? Is there something you could be doing differently to sit at His feet for your own soul? We are made to serve. The urgencies of life (children, husband, home, meals, cleaning) are a true and constant pull, but it isn’t the greater good, friends. First, Jesus. Nothing, not one thing, can be taken out of order if we’re under the urgency of meeting with the Lord and following Him in our days.
Today, even right now, stop what you’re doing and make the most of your time in this day, and in your every tomorrow. Go meet with Your Savior. He loves you best and He want to meet every one of your needs.
Ephesians 5:16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
God bless you! ~Tamara xoxo
