One-on-one With God, Your Way

Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

“Uff,” I muttered under my breath. The sermon was on Mary and Martha, and it was hitting a little too close to home.

The sisters of Lazarus are my personal litmus test, and I struggle perpetually to be less Martha, the hostess demanding Mary’s help in the kitchen, and more Mary, the sister sitting at Jesus’ feet, soaking in his presence and his words.

Adding to my struggle, I used to assume that spending time with Jesus meant we had to be just like Mary, literally sitting quietly before Christ. And while it is important to set aside time for focused spiritual learning, when I attempt to sit quietly in conversation with God, I sometimes find myself chasing thoughts that zigzag off in different directions. I’m left distracted, frustrated, and feeling like a failure.

Instead, I’ve learned to chat with Jesus as I cook, pull weeds in the garden, scrub bathrooms, and drive solo. As I putter, I find myself silently nattering to Jesus about all sorts of things before going silent, waiting for divine insight into a situation. Putting my hands to work quiets my racing thoughts and creates an undistracted space for the Holy Spirit’s presence and guidance.

It took me far too long to realize that both versions of quiet time are viable and count, and I cried in gratitude and relief when I understood that my constraints around quiet time were of my own making. If we are each created uniquely, then why would God require us to meet him in exactly the same way? Oh, what a freeing realization!

How you meet with Jesus is far less important than whether you are meeting with him, and it’s naturally going to look different for a single woman, a mom of young children, or an empty nester. Navigating life on earth requires drawing intimately close to our Savior. Find what works for you, and channel your inner Mary regularly.

Julie

Today’s Act of Gratitude

If your quiet time with God has you distracted, experiment with busying your hands or changing locations.