Mary

What are Your Plans?

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I loved the scene from the film “Evan Almighty” when Evan (Steve Carell) tells God “But I have my plans!) then God (Morgan Freeman) laughs and responds, “Your plans?”

I laugh every time because it is a conversation I have silently had with God on so many occasions. “But I planned to sing a song, make a friend or start a new job”. Those were my plans! But God in His infinite love and mercy pulls out His schedule, glances down and shakes His head lovingly. “Nope! Pete…You’re just going to have to trust me with this.”. Ever notice how our Heavenly Father loves to put the ball back into our court and then waits to see our response? Here are a few folks from the Bible who also had plans:

Job would have liked to stay rich, safe and blessed.

Mary was planning what to wear to her wedding

Elisha just wanted to finish ploughing his father’s field

Peter wished he could catch a few fish.

But God had other amazing, astonishing and challenging plans they could never have even imagined. God also has awesome plans for you and me. What are your plans? What might God be calling for in your life today? Whatever it is we know that His plans are way better than anything we could dream!

Martha’s Heart

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There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. John 12:2

Though we often admire Mary’s example we must not forget that Jesus also loved Martha. Martha was the bold one who publicly invited Jesus and all 12 disciples to her house for dinner! Just as Mary listened and learned from Jesus, Martha also learned in her own way. Though she worked in the kitchen, and complained about her sister, she also accepted correction. Later when Jesus failed to come and heal her brother Martha was waiting at the edge of town to ask Him why He had allowed Lazarus to die. But she was also equally quick to believe when Jesus told her that He was the resurrection and the life. At the same dinner when Jesus came and sat by Lazarus and Mary came and washed His feet, Martha cooked the food and washed the plates. As Mary lavished her love on Jesus with the ointment, Martha lavished hers with service. As the air was filled with the fragrance of the perfume, so too the air was also filled with the aroma of Martha’s dinner. Oh yes we know the story of Mary will be told forever, but we must never forget that Jesus also loved Martha. Martha gave the best she had. If you are a Martha don’t be ashamed, just give your best and learn like she did to focus your eyes on Jesus and serve Him wherever you are!

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Where is Jesus?

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 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb.  And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. John 20:11-14

When our children were small one of their favorite books was Richard Scarry’s  “Cars and Trucks and Things that Go” On every page of the story were all different kinds of vehicles traveling down busy city streets, highways and country lanes. But no matter what page we were on – we and our boys were always on the look out for a tiny gold colored character named Goldfarb (I was never sure if he was a worm or caterpillar). You never knew where Goldfarb might be. On one page he was hiding in the back of a dump truck and on the next he was sitting with the firemen in a big red fire truck. But no matter where he was we all laughed each time we found him.

While this was a pleasant pastime for us a parents, I have discovered that In a similar but much more serious way we need to look for Jesus along the highways and byways of our lives. In the story book every day looks like fun but real life things can be quite different. Some days Jesus is sleeping in our storm tossed boat and others it seems to us that He is days late in showing up to help. We may even find ourselves in the position of Mary as she wept at the tomb supposing that someone had taken Jesus away. Her sorrow was so overwhelming that when the living resurrected Jesus did come she didn’t recognize Him. She turned and thought, “Oh it’s only the gardener…but maybe he knows something about my Lord!”

Maybe God is showing up as a rather plain looking gardener to you today. Maybe there is soil on his knees from laboring with weeds and planting flowers. Maybe his hands are so cracked and worn from work that we fail to recognize the prints of the nails in His palms. As He walks up quietly behind us we don’t see the wounds on His feet that happened on His journey to find us. But the night is almost past and dawn is just beginning to peak over our horizon. Where is Jesus? He is right at our side ready to call our name. Whenever we are seeking Him with all our hearts His word assures us that He will come up our garden paths ready to be found!

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