Distracted.

Though You have been at work overhauling my heart, and new ways & thinking are emerging, I can still see the possibility of my tombstone life-summary reading: “distracted by much serving”.

This story of Martha and Mary’s division of serving vs. hearing comes right on the heels of a story I thought was about the idealistic server – The Good Samaritan.  A man who altered his course of time & finances to serve a victim of robbery and abuse.

Do something, the right something, is what my Martha-mind thought this parable was all about. 

But then immediately following his story, is a story about someone being ‘distracted with much serving’.  Because I fall easily in the company of Martha, I missed the point entirely of the preceding, bind-up-his-wounds, story.

Rather than the point be ‘do something’, it appears that it is more about the condition of the heart.  I had previously missed Jesus’ clearly stated point – “he had compassion”.  

He loved, and the natural result was serving.  I, on the other hand, more resemble clanging symbols.

Hope.

How is it possible, Father, that I could be so void of love?  How, in the light of all You are and have been manifesting in me, that I resemble little of You?

I must go back to this promise:  You shall enlarge my heart.

This section of scripture speaks to understanding Your precepts & law.  The sum of the law, You explain later, being to love You and to love others.  A larger heart.

But there is hope.

To Ezekiel, You shared this promise for Your people:

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirt within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgements and do them.  36:26-27

Do them.  Not because my tendency, nor the law, insists upon it.  But because a flood of love nourishes my new heart.

Movement.  The Good Samaritan got off his donkey not because of a statute, but because of compassionate love.

Oh.

Compassion.

His heart was not bound-up in his schedule, mis-placed legalism, nor finances.  His compassion compelled him to move.

Choices.

Actively placing my heart next to You enlarges my heart with compassion…moving it from serving, to serving well.

May it be.

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