“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 few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

So easily I get wrapped up in the day-to-day tasks of life. There is always a mess to clean, a meal to prepare, laundry to do, or a fight to break up. Some days crush me before I even eat breakfast, and I feel defeated and discouraged in all that needs to be done. As the anxiety mounts, I can no longer prioritize what lay ahead of me and in a fury I blow through my day irritable and in a constant rush from one thing to the next. There is no peace, there is no joy; and rarely do I ever feel like I have things under control.

Maybe this is you too. Maybe just one day gets away from you or maybe a week or more goes by, before you stop and fall to your knees because you just don’t know how to get on top of things, how to keep moving forward. Maybe it’s a trap you’ve created for yourself or distractions the enemy has created to keep your focus blurry at best.

Jesus. Saying his sweet name makes me smile. Jesus. Saying his name makes me stop and take a deep breath. The relief, the answer to the mile-long to-do list, the peace in the midst of chaos, the joy in the day’s tasks is Jesus. Stop, sit at His feet to rest, and there you will find peace and the wisdom to focus on what is important.

Lord God, My time, my days are a gift from You Lord, and I thank You for every second. Forgive me for becoming distracted in the busyness of everyday life. Lord, I stop and sit at your feet. I pray for the wisdom to prioritize the tasks in my day and the focus I need to keep my eyes on You. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen

-Ashley Mapes Blouin is a Jesus lover, wife, and Mom from Dover, NH