Entering the Living Room
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.
She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.
But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
--Luke 10:38-42
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In summer of 2009, I heard this story during a meditation session. The facilitator told us to insert our names in Martha’s place and look into Jesus’ eyes as He tells us, “You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed - or indeed only one….”
Later that same day I experienced my first Taize service, where I heard God call me out of the Kitchen and I held the eyes I saw during the meditation session.
For the past eight years, I’ve held close to that image. It’s what I saw when I prayed and what I saw when I sang in church. This image of Jesus’ eyes looking into mine was how I defined God for eight years.
Then February happened….I moved into my grandparents’ house temporarily the month before, I had two broken friendships as a result, and work was crazy. One day I left work after a very emotional day and I told my friend, “God wants me to rebuild my life, I know that.”
What I didn’t know was that He wanted it right then and there, and so at 3am, God woke me up and said, “Now.” And I walked out to the living room and wrestled with God until He told me to look at Him the way I always have.
He told me to look where I was standing. What I didn’t realize is that after He called me out of the Kitchen in 2009, I stopped in the doorway. I didn’t go into the Living Room and sit at His feet like Mary. I didn’t rest. I didn’t submit. I stood at the threshold of Kitchen Service and Living Room Intimacy and picked and chose when I wanted to be on one side or the other.
And that night...eight years later...God called me out of the threshold into the beauty of the LIving Room with Him - into a place of Peace, of Rest.
And after weighing my options, I decided to cross over.
And when I entered in...I was surrounded by Freedom and Peace.
What I found in the Living Room wasn’t just Jesus, but His work. Remember when I promised to drop my alabaster jar? Well, He didn’t just remake the jar I dropped, but MULTIPLIED the jar. I “dropped my jar” out of financial stress - and now I have a house. I “dropped my jar” (my life) as a offering - and now I have true freedom only found in Christ. I “dropped my jar” and He’s remade it - and He’s still not done.
The Living Room isn’t an end-all-be-all. The Living Room is just the beginning. The Living Room has become a place to prepare for the day - to prepare to enter the Kitchen. The Living Room is a war room. The Living Room is a shelter during the storm. The Living Room is a resting place for rejuvenation.