Too Busy?

There is a hot dog commercial which makes me laugh every time I see it.  Dad comes home from work; each kid and mom is in a different room on some kind of electronic device.  Dad looks from room to room, no one notices.  He then goes to the breaker box and shuts the electricity off.   As the kid runs out to dad and ask what is going on, dad offers him a hot dog off the grill. 

It reminds me of when I worked for a utility company and disconnected electric.  One morning a lady came in and asked to speak to the person responsible for disconnecting her electric.  I asked her name and started the process of getting information to prepare myself to answer all kinds of questions when she said, “Thank you.”  Needless to say I was taken by surprise.  She continued to explain life had gotten so busy she simple had forgotten to pay her bill.  Not having electric forced her and her husband to sit down to dinner without the TV or any other distractions and actually have a conversation.  She paid her bill and thanked me again then left. 

It took disconnecting the electric for her to realize that life had gotten so busy, she was disconnecting from what life is about.  I will have to admit I am guilty.  

I recently learned a saying, for every wrong thing you say yes to, there is a right thing you are saying no to.   I know I didn’t repeat it exactly, but you get the jest.  It reminds me of the story of Mary and Martha.  Martha was so busy preparing for Jesus, she forgot Jesus. 

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 only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42.   

Be careful and don't forget Jesus.