“Where you put a period, God may have a comma”
Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver…A highly recommend this book… The basis of the book is the lessons we are to learn from the 2 sisters, Mary & Martha (Lazarus’s sisters) in the Bible.
Mary had a heart for Jesus. When he came to their home she stopped everything just to sit at his feet and listen. Martha was more consumed by the preparation of dinner, and preparing for their guests… I don’t know about you but more often than not, I am so focused on my “to do list” than I am on Jesus! I literally have read this book now 3 times, and each time it revs me up to spend time with our God who blesses us with so much, and asks so little — just to take time and sit at his feet!
I am a wife to a husband who loves me to take care of the order of our home, children & “to do list” – he is extremely helpful but he does like me to take care of the orderliness (is that a word?)! I have 4 children who we are trying our hardest to raise to love the Lord, respect authority, and give of themselves however they are still small (2,5,7,9) and they have many needs that can honestly wear the best of them out! I also have 2 dogs who the girl – Miley, you wouldn’t even know she was there – she’s so complacent and kind and docile then there’s mikey – our personality, you definitly know he’s around, anxiety disordered little pup! And on top of that the “to do list”, volunteering here and there, exercising, cooking, cleaning, and driving our kids to their “things” and The Little Frog – which I feel so blessed to have been given this opportunity and ministry to spread the message of God, and his love and purpose for us no matter what we or the world may think of us!
So with all that said…. How do you fit “sitting at Jesus’s feet” into all of that – which I’m sure some of you have even more than me to juggle!!!
Well, you will get some great pointers from Joanna Weaver. I try to take one thing from each book I read, and implement it into my life then it becomes a habit after so many times (I don’t know the exact number)… however, I’ll list some of the things I have changed or began to work on to fit our God who is so big and wonderful and great,and so patiently waiting for me to come to Him —-
1. Begin my morning before any other thought comes to my mind by just thanking Him for the day, and asking Him to fill my heart, mind and soul with His great love so I can spread it to others – even the unloveable!
2. I open the Bible and pray for God to open my heart, mind and soul to what it is He wants me to hear. (sometimes this is in the morning – on those rare occasions the kids sleep in or I wake up early, and if that doesn’t happen which is usually the case then I fit it in sometime in my day! – somehow when God knows that’s your desire He will make the time)
3. I pray and I pray and I pray – hard for myself and my husband and my kids so hard that it hurts — I pray for my friends, and the people that God wants to come into my life !
4. The big one is for His will to be done! It took me a long time to know what this even meant… For me, it means to truly just trust my day to Him, ask Him to fill me so I can act like Jesus – for I know I can not do that on my own!
— it is amazing to me that when you give your day to Him – how full it can be, and how fullfilling it can be, and how much more you have to give than on your own! He does have a purpose for each and everyone one of us! He doesn’t force us to listen to Him so many of us spend a lifetime filling it with a bunch of nothing because we’re so “me” focused that we miss out on what He has to offer us!
I can honestly say with my whole heart that my life has changed since I surrendered it completely to Him… it doesn’t mean it’s perfect by any means (I have my struggles, my husband and I have to work very hard to stay connected and on the same page, and I have to lean on The Lord some days to get me through it without my thoughts of doubt to seep in!) But all He asks is that we try, He knows our hearts and when He knows we desire something (as long as it’s in His will) then He wants to bless us!!!!!
His blessing is sometimes unseen to us – hence “Where you put a
period, God may have a comma” — We live in a world where we have everything instantaneously – well God doesn’t always work on our time! So keep praying, staying connected to Him, and trust that He does know best,and dont’ give up!!!!
Where we may think things aren’t working out for us or going our way or God isn’t listening….everyone – He promises He is listening and we just need to wait patiently and in that waiting SIT AT HIS FEET!
Warmly-
Crista Stewart
author of The Little Frog
Fully Rely On God!