Hi everyone,
The other day I took our kids to this thing, I’m not sure what you’d call it, but it’s basically a bunch of bouncy castles that took up like an entire parking lot. Well, It wasn’t a “bunch” of them as much as it was just two very very very large ones. Like I think the bigger one was actually bigger than our home. The smaller structure was actually an obstacle course, complete with jumps, ramps, slides, and even those laser things (made out of bungee cords, but still). I tried to be in there as much as my body would allow to spend time with the kids… but also because these kinds of hijinks are right up my alley.
And let me tell you… a couple days later and my body is sore as heck.
I guess that’s why I saw so many of the other parents sitting on the sides and not participating. I mean, I’m not putting them down or anything, I know this kind of thing isn’t for everyone. From what I could tell, their kids had just as much fun as mine (some even more from what I observed), with or without their parents kicking their butts in the obstacle course.
I dunno, being goofy is just my love language I guess.
Here are the readings for next week:
Genesis 18:1-10a
Psalm 15
Colossians 1:15-28
Luke 10:38-42
And a video of me reading them:
The story of Mary and Martha is mostly familiar to most of us I think, as we sometimes use their analogy in other areas of life… like usually when we don’t want to do some kind of chore or something we’d claim that we’re just being like Mary as Jesus suggested we do. But I actually don’t know if that is the case.
Because really, there’s nothing wrong with being hospitable. I mean even Abraham went way above and beyond to be hospitable to strangers. And that guy is known as the Father of Faith. So why all the shade towards Martha in this story?
Well, while there is nothing being wrong with being hospitable, I think it’s important that we are aware of the love language of others. Martha’s clearly was acts of service, but it didn’t seem like she recognises or even honours Mary’s love language of quality time. And I think that is what Jesus was getting at.
He wasn’t telling either sister how to live or how to be loving, except for knowing and honouring how they live and love. Sometimes they’ll be the same, many times they will be different, but that doesn’t mean that Jesus is any less there.
And it most certainly doesn’t mean that we are any less loved.
So let us do, be, and love, and honour the diversity in our communities and families!
Thanks be to God! Have a great week, everyone!