Since I married my husband 4 years ago, my life has been a flurry of activities. I used to keep my plans on a calendar, and get angry at Lawrence because he wouldn’t commit to a date that I could pencil into my calendar (back when we were dating). After living with him these last 4 years, I see why. When you commit your life to God, He is in charge of our calendar, not us. There are people who need us sometimes, and things happen that pretty much demand our actions or presence, and I used to fight it and say “no, I’m in charge of my time, so I’ll calendar you in” but there’s a Scripture we have to remember, and it is in Matthew 16: 24-27 “24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.”

This helped me let go of my selfish desires. So I began to go with the flow, and quit fighting the current of life with Lawrence. My life and events began to flow, as we drifted with the current of life and problems would come up like large rocks in the river, but the Lord would carry us in our little raft past the rocks safely, even as trials and tribulations have also have come up; the Lord has brought us through.

This last month, while preparing for our first May Day Fest in Peyton Colony (which was a great success), I began crying out to the Lord that I don’t want to be a Martha, who was too busy to worship the Lord. I want to be a Mary. You know the Scripture, it’s in Luke 10:38-42 “38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 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.”

41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

So, remembering having read this in the bible, I decided to fast and pray, and while searching my heart and my bible, I was led to the following Scriptures in John, chapter 4, the story of the woman of Samaria, at the well. To get it, you need to read beginning verse 1 through verse 26, but space limits me.

John 4:19-26 “19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?”

21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. 23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

25 The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah!”

My bible reference says “verse 21 is the 6th New Testament prophecy in John (4:21-24, fulfilled). The answer embodies a great principle, that true worship is that of the heart and not of or at any particular place.”

Because of my business, even my blood pressure got high, and I was tired with no time for worship, but true worship is of my heart, and so if our hearts are right, and what we’re doing is for our Lord, and not for our own glory, then we can worship our Lord, even when we’re busy. Does that make sense?

It was a relief to me, because I was missing my private time in my prayer closet, where I like to meditate and pray, but this tells me if my heart is thinking good things, and I’m striving to love people and my Lord, that even when I’m going through preparations for a big event, the Lord knows my heart, and the devil may try to make me feel guilty for not spending quiet time with God, but God knows my motives, and where my heart really is, and that was quite a relief to me. I hope somebody else gets something from this, too. Isn’t it great that God will exalt us and lift us up out of our misery, if we would just sit down and seek Him in His Word?!

Jesus said in Luke 5:22 “But Jesus, knowing their thoughts and questionings, answered them, Why do you question in your hearts?”

John 6:63 “63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”