Love Has a Name

How often have you boiled water? I boil it at least once a day if not 2-3x per day.

During the day, how often are you multitasking?? In our daily lives with our busy schedules we are always just trying to fit stuff in. Make an appointment? “I can fit you in at 11:15”. Dinner reservation? “We are full for 5:30 but we can make room at 6:20?”

In my calendar app for iPhone there is even an option to schedule travel time to and from appointments so that we don’t over schedule ourselves.

What in your life are you squeezing in? Family? Friends? Faith?

This remind me of the story in Scripture. Luke 10:38-42

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary,who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ 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!”

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Here we clearly see that Jesus is concerned with what we prioritize and how we just try to make things fit according to our schedule not His.

When I make my tea at night I often stand next to the stove and literally do nothing while my water boils. I use the stovetop so it takes a bit longer than a plug in kettle, but, I enjoy it.

I try to just do… nothing. My mind wanders, I notice some dust and squeegee it with my finger. Maybe I stretch my legs or just close my eyes. If it’s not nothing then it’s pretty darn close to nothing.

I love this time. for 5-7 mins of my day I can do nothing. While in this apparent time of nothing the strange thing is, that something is happening. God breathed creation into life, made something from nothing, and now He is doing something in me while I do nothing.

Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not saying to waste time, be lazy or procrastinate. No. Instead I am saying it’s ok to stop, breathe and slow down. Jesus is the very embodiment of patience. His message of “repent and behold the Kingdom” was and is urgent and imminent. Yet, Jesus stopped, chatted, ate, slept and sat. Often we read that he retreated to places in isolation or just to be alone. How long? We don’t always know, but we know that in his silent, quiet “nothing” times, he prayed and sat in creation enjoying what is, not what was.

Read that passage again and ask yourself, who am I? Mary or Martha? Jesus is right in front of us and instead of asking Him what He wants. We often just do things that seem good, seem helpful and seem wise, and they very well may be. However, the challenge becomes asking Jesus, “what do YOU want me to do?!” I am just as guilty as the next guy for jumping on board with seemingly good tasks and duties but not asking the Lord if He actually wants me to do them.

Today I encourage you to literally boil water and do nothing. Can you do it? No phone, no conversation. Just be still. Be quiet. Just let the water boil.

Be thankful you’re not watching the paint dry.