Martha was distracted by her many tasks;
so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me
to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered
her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there
is need of only one thing. (Luke 10:40-42a)
Just
one
I need just one thing today, you, Beloved One.
Morning dawns, and the world impinges on consciousness
with no concern for my inability to sort and single out the tasks of the day. Each
cries for attention at once, reducing me to immobility and a nagging sense of inadequacy.
The mind flails in one direction and then another
trying to get a handle on the day to make it all feel controllable.
This is nonsense, of course. Life rushes ahead at its
pace, not ours. We control very little, and the needs of the day quickly bury awareness
of the one thing our monkey minds need that will allow us to breathe … and enter
a place of peace.
So breathe … and know; there is One who looks at you and
smiles. That smile is your peace. It gives you everything you need to
take life one step, one moment, one task, one challenge, one conversation at a
time.
The Love that shines in the holy smile of Christ
speaks your name, not “Martha, Martha,”
but my name, your name. “David, David,
take a breath … and listen to the Love that whispers the truth.
“Do what I have placed on your heart. Just one thing.
Then move on to the next, knowing everything
that gets done … and what cannot be done … rests in the warm light of my smile,
as do you. Always.
Pr.
David L. Miller