Tomorrow I will close out my fourth week of sheltering in place and I’ve only been away from home once. Usually, I open the outdoor kitchen around mid-March, but yesterday was my first day firing up the grill. I did spend a couple of days lying in the sun for some much needed vitamin D therapy but by now I’d usually be rocking my pretty brown glow. I initially tried to keep things “normal and balanced,” but things are NOT normal and balanced. Times have changed.
A few weeks ago, I made a list of all the things that needed to be done around the house e.g., flipping my closet, cleaning the windows, etc. In the middle of creating this massive “there’s no way I’m doing all of this” list, I was reminded of those sisters in Luke 10. By nature, I’m like Martha so I always have a bunch of stuff I “need” to get done for Jesus. In that moment I realized that this COVID 19 “time out” requires us to be more like Mary. So, I deleted that ridiculous list and decided to go sit outside in the sun.
Sitting quietly outside is a whole sermon.
Now I take longer, more frequent moments out of my day to connect with God. I’ve gained a great appreciation for religions that make prayer a real priority and hope to continue this practice when the world releases its “pause.” I sit outside for hours doing “nothing” and learn a lot. I marvel at the budding trees that trumpet the springtime right on schedule. I watch the way the branches move with the wind without fighting its direction. I study the sun, hidden behind the clouds, yet still shines the light of day. I watch the deer and squirrels eat without anyone feeding them. I listen to the birds sing just because they’re birds. Sitting quietly outside is a whole sermon.
Martha was mad because she ran around preparing this fabulous dinner party for Jesus while her sister, Mary, just sat at his feet listening to what He had to say. When she complained to Jesus he told her not to worry about unnecessary things. “There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it.” (Luke 10:42) Social distancing and sheltering in place have given me an opportunity to do things differently– especially in my interactions with God. All the reasons I had for not spending more time with God — the demands of my busy, nonstop schedule — have been erased. God has put us in “time out.” We can spend that time cleaning drawers and rearranging closets or we can turn off the TV, shut down the phone and just sit a while with Jesus.
I’m grateful that I was reminded of Luke 10:38-42 early in my COVID-19 living. Spending quality time with God may keep my closet messy but it declutters my mind and fills my heart with hope.
#pray #readyourbible #washyourhands #stayathome