The Good Portion

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

It is very easy when life gets busy to forget how to laugh and celebrate. The past few weeks have been challenging on many levels and it is easy to gripe and rehash every bad moment and every struggle. And yet the sun shines and God is with us through it all. Today, my day of is a day I can celebrate. I love this season of the year and I love decorating for Halloween and all the scary and gross things that Go along with it. We have been bringing the decorations up from the basement and looking over all the gross and hysterical decorations we have accumulated over the years. There is sheer joy in preparing for the day and for finding ways to celebrate even in challenging times.

Sometimes I can get too much like Martha, so focused on the work and challenges of the day that I can miss the good portion, the relationships and friendships that surround me. There is laughter and joy in our frail humanity and we can be transformed in the midst of carrying our heaviest burdens. It we are willing to choose the good portion, the love the is present with us.

So today, in the midst of family and church challenges, I ask God to help me choose the good portion, the love and the laughter that surrounds me and the sheer joy in playing with all the Halloween stuff and acting for a time like a kid. May we all choose the good portion today so that we might share God's love and joy with a Martha kind of world.