Our Homes, or Our Minds and Hearts? by Heidi Dru Kortman

Text: John 10:38-42

“She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. . . Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

On the most obvious levels, this is a story of two able-bodied women who decided to open their home to Jesus and his apostles. What significance should it hold for us?

Although we do not bustle about as quickly as average people, we do take on activities and make promises intending to honor God. What happened to Martha can also happen to us. If we allow it, our commitments will overwhelm our attention. We may also worry too much about daily duties and necessities, since these take us more effort to arrange. Do you see how easy it is to overlook the miraculous fact: God is with us, waiting to talk to us?

Because our physical mobility takes so much of our effort, we frequently spend more time “just sitting.” Do we take sufficient advantage of this time to cherish our connection with God, or do we allow our minds to run on useless “hamster wheels” of preoccupation? Our jobs, homes, and finances can change at a moment’s notice. If our minds are always stuck on temporary events or actions, we hinder our souls in attempting to learn the indestructible eternal things that make our efforts useful in God’s plans. How much does our distraction from Jesus and his words detract from our witness by making us irritable? Let’s make a daily effort to mimic Mary, who chose to listen and receive the gifts of God that no one, and no situation can ever take away.

Heidi Dru Kortman DTM

God's gifts and call are irrevocable.

heididrukortman.com.

Heidi Dru Kortman, a CWG Apprentice graduate, ACFW member since 2004, and Word Weaver member has published devotionals in various newsletters, and a collected volume of devotionals. Her poetry, flash fiction, and short stories have appeared in small magazines, and a website. She is applying herself to the task of writing smoothly polished fiction.