Sometimes I Get Distracted -- A Guest Post by Meredith Mills

Meredith Mills is one of my favorite local writers. A gifted and talented communicator, Meredith gets to the heart of the matter and reminds us what's important every time. If you're feeling a bit distracted today, I know you're going to enjoy this post. After you read, be sure to leave a kind comment at the bottom.


Sometimes I get distracted. 

A few years ago, my husband attended a week-long business convention in Pennsylvania. We stayed busy while he was gone – our older kids went to STEM camp each day, our littlest enjoyed play dates with her besties, and I spent lots of time writing. When the weekend rolled around, we were more than ready for Daddy to come home. 

Except I wasn’t ready when he got home. 

Dinner wasn’t done. Supplies from Operation Deep Clean cluttered the master bath and bedroom. Laundry sat where I’d left it, waiting to be hung up in the closet. 

How I wanted everything to be perfect when my husband walked in the door. But alas, real life got in the way. 

Guess what? He didn’t care. 

He just wanted to be with us. To hear about our week and tell us about his. To snuggle up close and enjoy the evening together. 

As I bustled about the kitchen trying to hurry the cooking along, I remembered the story of another woman with whose life I so often relate. 

"Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.' But the Lord answered her, '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' Luke 10:38-42, ESV. 

I so get Martha! 

She loved Jesus and wanted everything to be perfect for Him. That meal in the oven was an expression of her affection. She longed to make Him comfortable, to help Him feel at home. 

Yet all Jesus wanted was her. 

Her heart, her focus, her devotion. In contrast to restless Martha, there sat Mary – the picture of a quiet heart. Yes, there were unfinished chores to be done. But Jesus had arrived, and she had to be near Him. 

Serving from a distance just would not do. If He was sitting in the living room, that’s where Mary wanted to be. If He went to the dining room, you’d find her there. If He walked outside, she’d tag along. 

While Martha was preoccupied with service, Mary was preoccupied with Jesus. 

The Bible mentions this Mary several other times – once at Lazarus’ tomb, where she brought her grief to Jesus just before He raised her brother from the dead, and again at a dinner party, where she anointed His feet with expensive perfume as an act of worship. (See John 11:1-44, 12:1-3.) 

In both scenarios, Mary went wherever Jesus was. She loved Him and needed Him, so she ran to Him with zero hesitation. 

Oh, God, give me such a heart. May I never be content with days full of service yet absent of connection with You. Teach me to focus on You and walk closely with You, both in my daily “quiet times” and in the middle of my everyday crazy. 

How about you? How do you practice the presence of God? In what ways do you cultivate a quiet heart? 

Meredith Mills is a wife and mother to three inquisitive, adventurous, fun-loving kids. She writes about resting in Christ and walking with Him in our everyday spaces at MeredithNMills.com and Just18Summers.com. Connect with her on Instagram and Twitter @MeredithNMills and on Facebook @MeredithNicoleMills.

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Refresh Your Faith contains 66 culturally relevant, story-driven devotions, one from each book of the Bible. Each real-life story spotlights an unusual verse or Bible passage that you may have overlooked in your usual Bible reading. Lori Hatcher challenges you with additional features like an uncommon thought to ponder; an unusual faith action step; and an unfamiliar passage suggestion for additional Bible reading.

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