Just Sit Down

Recently I had the pleasure of spending time with a relative I hadn't seen in more than ten years. I couldn't wait to introduce her to my three children. Even though we arrived a bit later than I had told her we would, she asked us to wait for 15 minutes in the parking lot so she could give her dog a bath. We got together with her three times over a span of ten days. What was most important to me was spending time with her, but at each visit we spent a large part of the time apart from her because she was busy doing something else. We spent a good bit of time sitting on her patio while she was gathering some gifts, party hats, and preparing a cake. I was very touched by her generosity and thoughtfulness, but the best gift she could have given would have been to sit down and just visit with the five of us. I've never asked guests to stay outside so I could give a pet a bath, but I am sure there have been times I've done the dishes when I should have just sat down and enjoyed our company. It reminded me of the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. Jesus told Martha, "You are worried and upset over all these details, but there is only one thing worth being concerned about." The next time I'm tempted to behave like Martha, I hope I'll remember this experience and just sit down and put all my focus on my guests.