In June my family moved to Palm Coast, FL. It has been a dream of mine to live at the beach since I was a girl. I’ve always been drawn to the ocean. It’s like it calls my name. Emily, come sit.
This morning I was reading in the Psalms and was led to Psalm 42:7 “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.”
I instantly recognized this calling. It’s not the ocean calling my name. It’s Jesus. He’s always calling to me…Emily come sit. I understand deep calling to deep. I sense this invitation daily to sit with Him. I long for quiet times with Jesus, resting in His presence and reading His word. I especially long for those quiet times I can be with Him in nature.
So why does this calling to come sit with Him often feel like a game of tug of war?
For me, it’s many distractions. I think in today’s world we are becoming conditioned to distractions.
I really relate with Martha (Luke 10:38-42). She was busy in the kitchen while Jesus taught in her home. When Martha complained that her sister, Mary, wasn’t helping because she was sitting at Jesus’s feet, Jesus replied, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Martha was distracted. She thought she was doing the right thing by serving everyone. But Jesus pointed out to her that she was focusing her attention on the lesser thing. So, in our busyness (and even in our service ministry leaders), we must continuously ask, what is distracting us from the “the good portion”?
Lord, help me to recognize fruitless distractions in my daily life. I hear your calling. Give me the grace to listen. Amen.