An Unexpected Journey

Luke 10:41 -- "But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;"

My Ruby-troated beauty - I took this a few days ago.

Amidst the turquoise and blue salt-laden waves in the Gulf of Mexico there stands a beast forged of concrete and steel.  Steadily drumming into sand, sediment, and bedrock and surrounded by decades of controversy, oil rigs dot the otherwise pristine Gulf - almost like pin heads on a well-traveled map.   

A view from one these iron giants provides mostly vast, wide-open skies and a seemingly unending ocean. Thickly painted guard rails, emergency equipment and safety signs make up the scenery on top of one of these tin cans, and the interior barracks for employees doesn't offer up much by way of colorful decor, either. But if you stand in the right spot and look down the length of the rig, you'll be caught by a pleasant surprise. A relatively new addition - red hummingbird feeders meticulously maintained by some of the crew, swing from the rails. It might seem an odd place for a hummingbird feeder. And in truth, it wasn't until very recently that the Ruby-throated Hummingbird was discovered resting on one of these rigs, during it's migratory flight to Central America [namely Mexico] - where these amazing birds arrive every single year like clock-work, almost to the day - signifying the change in season.

That is an amazing journey if you think about it. The bright red feeders in my Saint Johns, Florida backyard are a far cry from Mexico. In fact, it's well over 500 miles as the crow flies [or in this case, as they hummingbird flies]. I'm in complete awe that this tiny little bird with a metabolism so fast it has to feed nearly every hour can make a 500+ mile flight in roughly 18 to 22 hours. Some of these tiny titans make the flight non-stop. That would be like you or I walking from the US to Russia without stopping for a glass of water. It's just plain crazy.

It boggles the mind. And it made me consider a well-known verse. "And who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" [Matthew 6:27].

The Ruby-throated Himmingbird can cross the Gulf of Mexico in a single flight. She doesn't worry about how she's going to get there. She doesn't stress over the fact there are no trees out there in the middle of all that water. Her needs are met by her Creator.

In Luke 10:41 Jesus stops in for a meal at what must have surly been the very meticulously kept home of Martha and her sister. Here, Martha's actions mirror my own when I have company.  I can picture her in a frenzy of cleaning and cooking, stressing out to the utmost of her capability because things have GOT to be perfect for her guest. Her guest was the Son of God, no less.  I can't imagine a more stressful situation for a host. Also like me, she kind of freaks out a little bit when her family doesn't bother to help her make things perfect. I mean, come on - doesn't her sister see that the place has to sparkle like a diamond? Doesn't she understand that there is work to be done?

I can see Jesus watching all of this. I can see him take Martha to a private side-bar where he shakes his head a little and does a parental "tsk tsk". This hits home for me on so many levels that I'm convinced when God inspired these words He knew what I was going to be like and was REALLY writing about me. But back then, Kelly wasn't exactly a popular name .... so He used the name Martha instead.

My Tiny Titan, taken 7/23/2013

It's not that Martha was doing a terrible thing. She took pride in her home. But if she remained focused on her tizzy - how could she focus on the Lord? All of her time would be spent cooking and cleaning, serving and then cleaning some more. She didn't have the time to sit and fellowship with Jesus. I have FINALLY learned that the time I can sit down and really spend with my guest is way more important that the gourmet meal I slave over and the sparkly condition of my home. I am not above calling in for Chinese take out if it means I can sit down and enjoy the meal with a beloved friend or family.

Jesus wants our time. Jesus wants us to fellowship. And consider this - who by worrying and bothering about so many, many things can add a single hour to his life? If our wonderful little hummingbird spent her energies worrying about her up coming journey she might not have the time she really needs to store up the fat that she will have to have to fuel her body.

I like the way Rick Warren put it: when I turn on the faucet to get water, I KNOW that the water isn't really coming from the faucet. It comes from the water company. I don't really worry that the spigot is going to run out of water. I don't worry about which faucet set to use in my home. The provider of said water isn't in the spigot itself. Fussing over the faucet isn't going to add to the amount of water is produces. The importance is in the provider.

If our Father provides for the Ruby-throated Hummingbird so she can cross the Gulf of Mexico - how much MORE will our Father provide for us, His children? It's time to stop fussing and fretting, isn't it? To shift our focus from "so many things" and put our focus completely on Christ.