The readings the past couple of weeks have focused on spending time with God, which have led me to ask myself, “Do I really spend time listening to God and or being open to God?”  Maybe I am more like Martha than I think.  When I’m busy like Martha, there’s no time to just sit and wait to hear God calling you.  So much to do, clean the house, read Facebook, run errands, read Facebook, go to work and catch up on Facebook.  I was skyping with my older brother the other night and we were talking about this and he says, “I hope I don’t hear God speaking to me, as those people who do hear God talking to them get called to some really difficult tasks.”  I laugh with him when he’s stating his views on this, but yet, I feel there’s a bit of truth within his commentary.  As that’s probably what I’m doing when I’m being more like Martha.  If I don’t hear a call to do something, I’m off the hook!

So when I think about living a Christian life, I wonder sometimes if I’m really doing it or not.  When I read stories about the Saints I wonder, like my brother, about their lives and the difficulties they encountered.   I think of how much easier my life is and yet in spite of what I’m sure would seem like a token life to any of the saints, I find myself complaining about so many things.  The car ahead of me that’s taking so long to go around the corner, the line at the grocery store and why are you talking on their phone, the product I’m looking for is out of stock just when I need it and it won’t be in for two days.    So, if I don’t hear God, then I don’t have to respond to anything either and I can just go about living my life.

These things pale in comparison to the lives of the saints and the lives they lived.  These people gave up so much for their faith and they worked at living a Christian life even when it wasn’t an easy time to be a Christian.  They listened to God’s call and trusted that their faith would see them through whatever came their way.

So as I listened again this past week to the scripture passage about Martha and Mary (Lk 10:38-42) I asked myself,   “How much time do I spend each day being Martha rather than Mary?”  Am I avoiding finding time to listen to God?  Do I want to hear what things I’m being called to do?    I know that when something goes wrong in my life I expect God to be listening to me.  What if He was busy being Martha and not Mary?   When I ask God for help to cure someone’s cancer, or help with finding a job, help with money worries, questions about growing old or problems with my health — is God listening?

Am I living a Christian life?  Can I do better?  I think there’s lots of room for improvement for me to become more like Mary:  taking more time to read the bible and spiritual books as well as joining faith groups and praying or maybe just spending more time alone with God.   I plan to start by setting aside time in the morning for meditation.  God and I time.  My friend Suzie once said, “I’m setting up a meeting time to go and have a visit with God”.    I need to schedule daily time to visit with God and starting today I’m going to commit to make time every day to visit with God and work towards  living my faith!!!