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Excerpt from Night
Whispers, (Chapter 8)
Look Who’s Coming to Dinner--A
Story about Choices
It was a beautiful summer day, and
the new pastor of a small mid-western church was making calls on the
elderly in his congregation. Many of the elderly were widows, and
their delight at meeting the new pastor and visiting with him was
heartwarming. After finishing several calls, he checked his church
directory and county map and discovered that there was one more lady
who lived in the area whom he could make contact with. He had phoned
ahead to set up appointments with all the others but felt it might be
all right, just this once, to stop by a house unannounced.
As he approached the house, he
noticed that a curtain at one of the front windows moved a bit, and he
figured that the owner must have noted his arrival. However, when he
rang the bell, no one answered. He tried knocking and then ringing the
doorbell once again, all to no avail. So, taking one of his new
business cards out of his pocket, he turned it over and wrote a verse
on the back side.
Here I am! I stand at the door
and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in
and eat with him and he with me.--Rev. 3:20.
Tucking the card between the door
and the doorframe, he went back to his car and headed home.
The following Sunday, the pastor
stood at the back of the church, greeting his parishioners following
the service. Many of the elderly he had called on the week before
stopped to express heartfelt gratitude for his visit. A wrinkled old
lady with snow-white hair and a twinkle in her eye made her way up to
him, aided by the use of an ivory cane. He didn’t recognize her as
anyone he had met before.
"Hello, Pastor. I’m Myrtle
Samuelson from out on Watkins Road."
Resting her weight on the cane with
her left hand, she reached out her blue-veined right hand and handed
him a small card. "Thanks for stopping by," she said, and
with that, she turned and went on her way.
His attention was immediately
demanded by the next person in line, so he slipped the card into his
pocket. When he got home he pulled out the card, and read only a
reference: Genesis 3:10. When he looked it up, he chuckled to read:
I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was
naked; and I hid myself (nkjv).1
Have you ever wished you had been
more prepared for unexpected company? I have, and I found an
intriguing story about someone else who must have felt the same way,
too.
There is a record in the Bible about
a woman named Martha who opened her home to Jesus. Her house in
Bethany was a place where Christians would often gather, and she lived
there with her siblings, a sister named Mary and a brother named
Lazarus. Jesus, in his early thirties and on the road in ministry, was
a close personal friend to the family.
In Luke 10:38-42 there is a story
recorded about one of Jesus' visits to this home. It is a snapshot of
an intensely emotional moment in the life of Martha, Jesus’ friend
and hostess.
This day had started like any other.
Arising at dawn, Martha had prepared a simple meal of curds and bread
for herself and her family. After clearing the table, she and Mary
lifted large earthenware jars to their shoulders and headed to the
village well to draw water. They were greeted warmly by most of the
other women at the well, but while Mary lingered to enjoy the
conversation, Martha waved a friendly good-bye and headed
home.
The village of Bethany was built on
the southeast slope of the Mount of Olives, less than two miles east
of Jerusalem, and Martha's home was one of the most prominent in the
village.2 As she approached the house, she swept an appreciative
glance over the structure, thankful that, although life had not always
been easy, she was blessed with her own home and enough financial
security to be generous.
Once inside, she collected the wheat
flour that had been ground the day before at the millstone and,
instructing a servant to collect twigs and grass to aid in lighting
the ovens, set to work mixing the household’s daily bread. She mixed
water with the flour and then reached for some of the previous day’s
bread dough with yeast in it, kneading it all together. As she worked
the dough, occasionally pausing to scrape the gooey substance from
between her fingers, her thoughts wandered to Jesus.
Word had it that there had been a
recent assassination attempt on his life. Martha sighed and punched
the dough. It was beyond her why the religious leaders hated him so
much. He fed the hungry and healed the sick. Crowds followed him
everywhere. He had done nothing but good, showing compassion to all,
and even teaching that people should love their enemies. Perhaps most
touching of all to her was the fact that he was a rabbi for women as
well as for men. He treated women with respect, and that broke with
tradition. Jewish men were taught not even to speak to a woman in
public. But Jesus not only spoke to women, he befriended and healed
them. He changed their lives.
Covering the dough with a cloth and
setting it aside to rise, she rinsed her hands, her thoughts still on
Jesus. Ever since he had healed Simon the leper in Bethany, his
popularity among the people in her village had expanded. It pleased
her that it was known in the community that he and his disciples came
to her home for rest and refreshment when he was in the area. His
friendship was precious to her, and she was honored to be a small part
of his ministry in this practical way. She chuckled a moment,
admitting to herself that it wasn’t exactly a small thing to
have Jesus and his entourage come to visit! They were company, all
right. Thirteen hungry men and twenty-six extra feet to wash was no
small undertaking, but she knew without doubt that Jesus appreciated
her effort, and she had made quite a name for herself as a
hostess.
As time wore on, Martha’s day was
filled with productive activity. While Mary worked at the loom weaving
a fine cloth, she shaped the bread dough into large, flat disks for
baking in the ovens. She was careful to save part of the raw dough for
the next day's leavening. Then she instructed her servant to sweep the
stone walkway in the courtyard, to grind barley for the next day's
bread, and to keep an eye on the baking bread while she went to the
village market.
Martha purchased a small oil lamp
from one vendor and moved on to buy honey and figs from another.
Almost finished with her shopping, she stopped to examine a basket of
ripe pomegranates, choosing three to take with her. It was then that
she became aware of a small group of Pharisees standing beside the
road. They were in deep conversation, and she wondered if they
gestured toward her. A feeling of unease crept over her, but she
lifted her chin and turned away. It was no crime to be a friend of
Jesus, and she would not humor them by acting frightened. However, she
found herself hurrying home.
Later that day, with her errands
completed, Martha worked with Mary on the mending. Mary, the quieter
of the two, listened as Martha told her about the incident at the
marketplace.
"I wish Jesus wouldn’t have
to suffer," responded Mary softly. Looking at her sister, she
went on, "It’s inevitable, you know."
Missing Mary’s point completely,
Martha continued, "Those men made me so uncomfortable! I just
don't know what this world is coming to!"
They were quite a crew, the
disciples following Jesus. There were two sets of brothers: Peter and
Andrew, who were fishermen from Galilee, and James and John, the sons
of Zebedee, who hailed from Capernaum. There was Thomas, and James,
the son of Alphaeus. Philip was from Bethsaida, and Bartholomew from
Cana in Galilee. Matthew had been a tax collector in Capernaum before
joining the group. Simon the Canaanite had been a Jewish revolutionary
who opposed Rome. Then there was Judas Iscariot, who acted as
treasurer for the group, and lastly, the warm-hearted Thaddaeus.
Traveling with Jesus from town to town as he taught the crowds and
healed the sick had been an unexpected calling on their lives that
they had passionately responded to. It wasn’t an easy vocation,
following Jesus Christ. They had left their jobs, homes, and families
to heed his call.
And times were more and more
perilous with the religious leaders cracking down on them. King Herod
had put John the Baptist to death, which had grieved them all, but
Jesus’ fame was still spreading like wildfire. He had recently
amazed both his disciples and a multitude of hungry people who had
come to hear him teach. There were five thousand men, plus women and
children, who had gathered in one spot, and Jesus had fed them all,
using only the lunch of one little boy. It had been astounding! In
addition to that miracle, the disciples had been empowered by Christ
to heal the sick and to cast out demons from the tormented! Who would
ever have dreamed that God would work this power through simple men?
No, it wasn’t easy to follow Jesus, but they were committed
disciples.
After a long day of dealing with
people, helping with crowd control, and assisting Jesus, the disciples
were on the road, hoping to reach the village of Bethany before
nightfall. The thought of the welcome that would await them lightened
their hearts and made their stomachs growl.
Andrew dramatically sniffed the air.
"I think I can smell Martha’s pita bread from
here!"
"And her chicken soup!"
added Peter.
Laughter erupted from the men, and
Matthew responded, "Just so it’s not fish! All you two ever fix
us is fish!"
As Jesus walked along with the
disciples, he smiled at their bantering. His heart was heavy, though,
with the magnitude of all they needed to learn before he would be
crucified. There was so much they did not yet understand, and time was
short.
But the thought of making himself at
home in Martha’s house and of seeing Mary and Lazarus was
heartwarming for him as well. Since he had entered his public ministry
well over two years before, he had been on the road constantly,
virtually homeless. The welcome that always awaited him in Bethany and
the company of the dear friends who lived there were precious to
him.
The commotion in the courtyard
announced their arrival before they even knocked. When Martha threw
open the door, her face lit with surprise and welcome.
"Jesus! Friends! Come in. Come
in!" Turning away for a moment, she called, "Mary! Lazarus!
We have company!"
The entryway was soon filled with
twenty-six more sandals as the men doffed their shoes and warm
greetings were exchanged. As they followed Lazarus into the main room,
Mary got out a basin with water and clean cloths to begin the ritual
of foot washing.
Martha disappeared into the kitchen,
her mind racing. I wish Jesus had sent a runner to give me a little
advance warning of his coming! she thought as she arranged a tray
with cups and poured a mixture of wine and honey into each. Glancing
out the open kitchen door at the fading daylight, she had another
wishful thought. If only the market was still open!
She hoped that the arrival of her
company hadn’t drawn the attention of too many others in the
community. She was usually proud to have Jesus in residence, but with
the political unrest lately, she knew there were those who would like
to do him harm. Hopefully there would be no arrests made at her door
this night!
She carried the heavy tray into the
room where the men had gathered, noticing that Mary was still making
the rounds washing feet. Water was poured over each foot, which was
then rubbed with hands and dried with a towel. Accustomed to this
ritual, the men had made themselves comfortable, and Jesus began to
teach them. Occasionally one would ask a question and a discussion
would ensue, with Jesus often illustrating his lessons by telling
stories or parables. Wishing she had time to sit and listen herself,
Martha headed back to the kitchen.
Taking a quick inventory of the food
available for a presentable meal, she felt frustrated that she
hadn’t made a bigger batch of bread that morning. There were eggs and
smoked mutton in the root cellar, along with the pomegranates she had
purchased that day. But usually a meal for guests would include three
courses arranged on trays and ending with fruit and a sweet dessert.
She put a large kettle of water on the fire to boil and began slicing
the mutton for soup. Perhaps the neighbor would have extra bread and
cheese.
Mary hadn’t shown up in the
kitchen yet, so Martha slipped out to the house next door. It was
customary that if one had guests, neighbors could be counted on to
contribute to a meal. But it still galled her a bit to have to ask.
Her errand netted two loaves of bread and a pungent block of cheese,
wrapped in a thin cloth.
The kitchen was warmer now, and
Martha’s cheeks flushed as she worked over the meal. Her eyes stung
as she chopped onions and garlic to add to the pot, and her resentment
flared. Where was Mary? She should be helping with the kitchen detail.
Wiping her hands on a towel, Martha headed for the meeting room, her
eyes seeking her sister. Of all things! She was sitting on the floor
at Jesus’ feet, doing nothing but listening! What did she think she
was doing? It wasn’t even proper for women to sit with men during a
meal! Something inside of Martha exploded.
Jesus surveyed the listeners in the
room as he taught. Looking beyond their varied exteriors, he could see
their expectancy, their trust, their hope. But he could also see that
his disciples did not yet understand that he had not come to establish
an earthly kingdom in their lifetimes. He had come to give his life
for the sins of the world, to provide a new life for all who believed,
and to establish an eternal kingdom in heaven where they would one day
reign with him.
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His eyes dropped to the quiet young
woman at his feet. Mary was the one exception in the room--the only
one who understood why he had come and that he would suffer. Their
eyes met, and hers filled with love and sadness, his with
affirmation.
An unexpected commotion in the
person of Martha burst into the room. "Distraught" was a
fitting description for the normally gracious woman. Without waiting
for Jesus to complete his lesson, let alone his sentence, she
interrupted her honored guest, casting blame on him for her
situation.
"Lord, don’t you even care
that my sister has abandoned me to serve you and your men alone? Tell
her to get up and help me!"
A shocked silence came over the
room. Mary's mouth dropped open at the sight of her angry sister, and
she flushed scarlet. The men gaped at Martha for a moment, and then
looked away.
Jesus, the Son of God, looked at
Martha, his distraught friend, and saw beyond the flushed cheeks,
moist upper lip, and watery eyes. Trembling with outrage, she stood
challenging whether or not he cared how hard she worked to serve him,
when they both knew that he did indeed care very much.
Jesus reached out to gently grasp
her hand, and quietly said her name. "Martha." When she did
not immediately respond, he took her hand in both of his and repeated
her name again. "Martha."
When she finally made eye contact
with Jesus, Martha forgot her sister, she forgot her shocked audience,
and she had a moment of reckoning like none other in her
lifetime.
"You are worried and upset
about many things," said the Lord.
Jesus could see into her very soul.
While everyone else saw her outer agitation, he understood that her
frustration, her nervous tension, her lack of poise and self-control
were not just about dinner. Martha saw herself as naked before him,
with her pride, her perfectionism, her fear, and her genuine love for
him intermingled.
"Anything would do for dinner,
Martha," he said kindly. "You see, there is just one thing
that’s truly important for the people in this house to receive, and
that is to understand the vital importance of why I’ve come. My time
is short, Martha. Mary understands that, and she made the right
choice. I’m not going to ask her to leave."
How is it possible to feel loved and
rebuked at the same time? Martha wondered. For the first time she
realized that for Mary the evening had been all about Jesus, while
she, Martha, had chosen to turn the focus of the entire night upon
herself. She could have singled out Mary quietly, without disrupting
the entire teaching session. She hadn’t done that, she realized,
because she wanted Jesus and everyone else to know how hard she was
working. Not one man would have complained if she had simply served
bread and cheese. Then she could have sat and listened to Jesus
herself. Instead, she had to prove that no one worked harder than
Martha. And to elevate herself even higher, she had tried to shame
Mary and make her look lazy in front of everyone present. She had
impressed them, all right. They would never forget her sharp
tongue.
As embarrassing as this encounter
with Jesus was, the lesson Martha learned was one that would change
her life.
While studying this woman from
another time and culture, I found myself fascinated by tidbits of
information that I gleaned from scholars who studied before me.
References to food, the social and religious customs of the time, the
political climate, and an understanding of Jesus’ constant traveling
companions added color and emotion to this unique story.
While telling you about Martha, I
wanted to give you a taste of what a typical day in the life of a
Jewish woman living at that time might have been like. I also wanted
you to get a glimpse of the political and religious discrimination
that existed, so you can better understand the tension that the
disciples and those close to Jesus lived with on a daily
basis.
Before we look at some important
lessons we can learn from Martha’s story, I’d like to share some
answers to questions that popped into my mind as I studied.
Why were Martha and Mary
single? While some scholars speculated that Martha may have been a
widow, one writer suggested that these women were very likely close to
Jesus’ own age and pointed out that King Herod had killed all the
boy babies in that area after Jesus’ birth, so that "there must
have been many unmarried women."3 This insight made me get out a
map to see how far Bethany was from Bethlehem, where Jesus was born,
and I learned it was only about five or six miles away. Interesting.
Whatever the reason was that Martha and Mary had remained single, it
is heartwarming to note that Jesus, single and on the road in
ministry, took joy in spending time at the home of his single
friends.
What was customarily expected
when company showed up? Hospitality during Martha’s time was far
more complicated than it is today. Servants removed the guest’s
sandals, and once the guest was seated, or reclining, the ritual of
foot washing began. This ritual was practical in that people usually
walked wherever they traveled, so their feet got filthy on the dirt
roads. Many homes had handwoven carpets on the floors and the foot
washing protected the rugs.
Lunch often consisted of a flat loaf
of bread stuffed with either cheese or olives. Dinner was a greater
challenge. “At a formal meal there was a “starter” of wine
diluted with honey to drink. The main dinner . . . was of three
courses arranged on trays and often beautifully decorated. Guests ate
with their fingers except when soup, eggs, or shellfish were included,
in which case they used spoons. . . . Finally there was a dessert of
pastry and fruit.”4
Often, because of the great
distances people walked to reach their destination, a visit also
required overnight accommodation. It’s clear that if Martha intended
to impress her guests, her challenge was considerable.
Why did women love, follow, and
support Jesus in his ministry? Martha and Mary were not the only
women who loved Jesus. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all refer to the fact
that many women followed Jesus (Matt. 27:55; Mark 15:41; Luke 8:3,
24:1). Some women are named, while others are not. Luke mentions that
women provided for Jesus and his disciples from their own substance.
Why?
Jewish tradition frowned upon women
studying with rabbis. Some rabbis actually considered it sinful to
teach women the Law. Women were permitted in the synagogues, but
custom required them to sit apart from the men. Menstruation made them
unclean each month according to the Law (Lev. 15:19). Women were often
viewed as the cause of men’s sexual sins. To prevent any temptation,
Jewish men were instructed not to speak to a woman in public--even to
one’s wife. And they were never to touch a woman in
public.
But not only did Jesus speak to
women in public (John 4:27), he dared to take them by the hand (Mark
5:41). . . . And as he tried to help people understand the kingdom of
God, he used illustrations that women as well as men could relate
to.5
Although his acceptance of women
most likely offended many Jews, it is no wonder that women followed
Jesus. He was the Son of God who healed the sick, fed the hungry, and
offered salvation and eternal life to all who would believe. In
addition to that, he loved and valued women and children.
How can this story apply to your
life?
Exercise your best gifts for God’s
glory. Without a doubt, Martha was blessed with the gift of
hospitality, and she used that gift to honor her Lord on many
occasions.
Have you identified what your best
gifts are? Are you using them regularly? Do you use them to bring
honor to God?
Have you considered opening your
home for Jesus’ sake? That might mean inviting a lonely coworker
home for dinner or extending hospitality to your neighbors and making
your faith visible. It might mean offering your home or cottage as a
place of refreshment for your pastor and his family or opening your
home for a Bible study. Has the youth group been invited to enjoy your
backyard? Most importantly, have you ever shared Christ with a
visitor?
I remember staring out the back door
of my house when I was a busy young mom and resenting that our
backyard was always full of children. Why did I have to buy all the
Band-Aids and make all the Kool-Aid? I had a home business and was so
busy, but there was a constant trail of kids heading for my bathroom.
Children were everywhere: in the tree house, on the swing set,
splashing in the kiddie pool. There were girls dressing dolls and boys
chasing each other with Nerf guns. I was tired of it.
Then one day the phone rang. It was
Michael Spikes, a voice from the past. Michael had been a junior high
kid in our youth group at the Main Post Chapel when Graydon was in the
military ten years before. We had introduced Michael to Jesus, and we
loved him. But to be honest, he hung out at our house so much that
sometimes we wished he would stay home a little more often. His call,
however, was precious to me. He had grown up and was a young military
officer in his own right, stationed in Washington, D.C. His message
was simple and heartfelt.
"I’ve wanted to thank you and
Graydon for years for always making room for me in your lives while we
were all at Ft. Polk. I never told you that my parents divorced that
last year you were stationed there. My home was hell on earth, but
I’d get on my bike and head for your house and everything would be
okay. You have no idea how much I needed your love and the reminder
that God loved me, too."
I had tears in my eyes when I hung
up the phone. I looked out my back door with new eyes, realizing that
God had given me a mission field, and it was in my own backyard. The
best gift I could give to God was to open my heart to the little ones
that came and introduce them to him.
Don’t neglect time at Jesus’
feet. Jesus never rebuked Martha for being a hard worker, but he did
stress that Mary had made the wiser choice. He said, "You are
upset and worried about many things. . . ."
I’m so glad Jesus didn’t say,
"You are so worried and upset about dinner!" My research
suggests that perhaps Martha was frustrated because she wasn’t
listening to Jesus too, knowing in her heart that she should have been
there. Randy Alcorn, in an article entitled "Can’t You See That
I’m Busy?" comments on the choices that were made that night.
"Jesus stresses the issue of Mary’s choice. Yet Martha also had
a choice, even though she probably thought her hands were tied.” I
have to do this work,” she rationalized. “It’s not a matter of
preference, but necessity.” How many times do we use this as
an excuse to neglect time with God?"6
The word "worried" comes
from a Greek word for "pieces" and "mind." Martha
had a divided mind. She was distracted.
I can’t tell you how many times
I’ve been so busy with impromptu temptations or urgent needs around me
that I’ve neglected doing the truly important things I had meant to
accomplish. So often I’ve put aside my Bible to answer the phone or
go to an appointment and have never made it back to God’s love
letter to me. I’ve been easily distracted from spending time at his
feet.
I’ve wondered too if, for a little
while, Martha forgot that she was entertaining the Son of God. Jesus
treated her with such loving familiarity and traveled with such a
common bunch of men that perhaps she lost sight of the fact that her
guest was the Christ.
Learn from your mistakes. Isn’t it
interesting that Martha was so distracted with her complaint that
Jesus had to call her name twice before he really had her attention?
Only one other time during his earthly ministry did Jesus call
someone’s name twice (Simon in Luke 22:31).
However, once he had her attention,
she saw her complaint for what it was--a plea for attention.
"Lord, I don’t feel important enough right now; please say
something so everybody in the room will know I’m
important."
Her hospitality that evening had
become about her instead of honoring him. Several of the scholars I
studied were of the opinion that Martha's home was a wealthy one. It
was large enough to accommodate many guests and was well known in the
village. The costly gift that her sister Mary gave to Jesus in John 11
is additional evidence of their wealth. If that was the case, Martha
would have had a servant or several servants to assist her in the
kitchen, and her complaint was more petty than we might realize at
first glance.
Whatever the case, Jesus saw right
through her. He said, "You are worried and upset about many
things."
The scholar Matthew Henry suggests
that Martha was a brave and loyal woman because she welcomed Jesus
into her home even though “at this time it had grown dangerous to
entertain him, especially so near Jerusalem.”7 I believe
that Martha had all kinds of things on her mind and the meal was
merely the straw that broke the camel’s back!
Jesus often spoke using metaphors
and word pictures. When he said, "only one thing is needed,"
some suggest he meant that only one item of food was needed. Perhaps
this is true, but I believe the "one thing" he was referring
to was the need for those present to understand why he had come to
earth. Mary, who some time later anointed him with costly perfume
normally used for burial, understood. There was no way Jesus would ask
her to leave.
The good news is that the gentle
rebuke from Jesus taught Martha an important lesson about setting
priorities and recognizing who Jesus really was. In John 11:17-27
Martha had a rare one-on-one counseling session with Jesus, which
ended with her passionate statement of faith: “Yes, Lord, I believe
that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the
world.” It was a heartfelt confession of faith that is one of the
most beautiful recorded in Scripture.
At one time she had been more
concerned with making the right impression. She finally recognized the
value of the relationship with God Jesus was offering her and the
others in her home.
Have you considered opening your
home in a way that would honor God and allow you to represent him to
others? The important things are not how grand your home is or how
impressive the meals you serve are. Instead, impress your guests with
your genuine friendship, your sincere interest in their welfare, and
your attitude that reflects your relationship to God. Who knows? One
day, you may have the opportunity to introduce them to the
Savior.
Looking back, I realize that I’ve
had a lot in common with Martha, and I too had some important lessons
to learn about pride and how it is more important to represent my
Savior than to impress others with who I am or where I
live.
We were house hunting from a
distance. After almost four years in the military, my husband and I
were ready to come "home" to Michigan, become part of a
community, and establish Graydon’s law practice.
My sister Carol was thrilled that we
were considering Fremont, the lovely small town where she and her
husband lived. Knowing we loved antiques, she sent us a picture of an
old Victorian house on Maple Street that happened to be for sale. I
fell in love with the house in the picture, and I started dreaming
that it would be mine. I also started bargaining . . . with
God.
“Dear Lord," I prayed,
"if you’ll give me that house on Maple Street, I’ll make it
an open home for you. I’ll entertain missionaries and the pastor and
his family. The church youth group can come, and the women’s
missionary circles can meet there, too.” To further press my
advantage with God, I misquoted Scripture to him.
“Lord, in Psalm 37 you’ve told
me that you’ll give me the desires of my heart, and Lord, that house
on Maple Street is just exactly what I desire.”
I also made my husband’s life
miserable. It was his dream to set up his own private law practice,
but I wanted no such thing. It was too risky! We'd sacrificed enough
during law school. I wanted security and a steady paycheck.
To appease me, he wrote letters to
three attorneys, chosen at random from the Fremont phone directory. I
typed those letters, and they didn’t please me much. In essence,
they said:
Do you have an opening in your
office? If not, I look forward to meeting you when I arrive in
Fremont.
Well, the letters were a bit more
eloquent than that, but that’s about all they said. It didn’t
sound to me like he wanted a job at all! Two of the attorneys
responded, saying that they were not planning to expand their offices.
The third, Mr. Harry Reber, didn’t respond.
During my spring break from
teaching, we made a quick trip to Fremont to find both a home and an
office for Graydon’s practice. The first place we stopped was the
old house on Maple Street. I loved it! My heart beat fast as we
stepped onto the big enclosed porch and then walked through the large
rooms. I knew the house was where I was supposed to live.
Then we started checking out
available office space to rent. There was none.
In a quandary as to what to do, we
strolled through the business district until we came to an abandoned
building. It was in miserable shape, but the location was perfect.
Rubbing some grime off the cracked front window with a tissue, we
peered inside at the cavernous interior.
"This would be great!"
Graydon enthused. "Maybe the owner would remodel just the front
for my office space."
We made inquiries about the building
and were told to contact an attorney named Harry Reber. That name
sounded a little too familiar. Mr. Reber was the attorney who hadn’t
replied!
I remember walking into Harry’Õs
office; it smelled like leather and old books. It smelled established.
I found myself wondering how long it would be before my husband’s
office smelled like that. Harry Reber picked up a document from his
desk and studied it for a moment.
“That building isn’t for rent,
but it’s for sale,” he said. "It’s been wrapped up in trust
since the owner died three years ago, and it’s the last piece of
property to be disposed of. If you’re interested in buying, I can
help you. If not, I can’t. By the way," he added, "did you
know there is a very large apartment on the second floor of that
building?"
My mind was racing. We weren’t
interested in buying the building. We wanted to buy the house on Maple
Street and rent office space. I looked at my husband, and to my
dismay, I realized that the wheels in his head were moving in an
entirely different direction. He nodded to the attorney, asking,
“Can we take a look?” I knew what he was thinking: How convenient.
We could live upstairs and work downstairs!
My thoughts, however, were riotous.
Oh, no you don’t, Graydon. I am the newest attorney’s wife in this
town, and I will not live in a grubby old storefront apartment! I
sacrificed with you in law school, and I taught school so we could
save every penny I made to put down on a house. Don’t you dare ask
me to live in a storefront apartment!
God worked a miracle in a prideful
young woman’s heart as we crossed the street and put the key into
the rusty lock.
We climbed thirty-two dusty stairs,
and I didn’t even notice the furnace next to the front door or that
there were not enough electrical outlets or heating vents. Or that the
plaster had fallen from the ceiling in four of the rooms, and the wall
colors were atrocious. I loved the place! I saw oak floors and
skylights. There were high ceilings, a large kitchen, and a formal
dining room. There were three bedrooms and a claw-foot bathtub. With a
little work, it would be perfect.
We bought the building and moved in
that summer. Every penny we had saved went into remodeling the first
floor into office space, and we rented out two offices to help pay the
mortgage. We also plastered and painted upstairs, nicknaming the
apartment "The Penthouse." As the moving van pulled away, we
stood in the beautiful old dining room and prayed.
"Lord, in your wisdom you have
allowed us to buy this building. We’ll entertain the missionaries
and the pastor’s family. The church youth group can come, and any of
the ladies’ missionary society that can make it up the stairs are
welcome. We’re giving it back to you. We’re trusting you for the
clients who will walk through the door downstairs and for the
relationships that will be made in this community. Help us to
represent you well in this place."
Three years later I was sitting
alone in the lobby of the office. Graydon was in court, and I found
myself looking around the spacious lobby at the tangible evidence of
God’s blessing. After nine years of marriage, we were happily
anticipating the birth of our first child. Overwhelmed with God's
goodness to us, I leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes, and
prayed.
"Father, you are so good and so
wise. Thank you for this wonderful old building, for the apartment,
and for blessing Graydon’s practice. Thank you for not bowing to my
will when I was dictating my desires to you. We love this place, and
we are so grateful for it."
When I opened my eyes, I was
surprised to see the owner of the house on Maple Street stepping
inside the door. I hadn’t seen Mrs. Longnecker for quite some time,
but I had heard that her husband had passed away and that she had
taken her home off the market.
"Jennie," she said,
"I’ve considered selling my house again, and just as I was
walking down the street, it occurred to me how much you young folks
had loved the place when you looked at it three years ago. If you’re
still interested, I won’t list it with a realtor, and Graydon could
do the legal work, so the price would be even less than it was before.
Why don’t you talk it over and let me know what you
decide."
With a wave, she was gone, and I sat
in stunned silence. The verse I had misquoted to the Lord three years
ago came clearly to my mind: "Delight yourself in the Lord and he
will give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:4). I realized
that from the very moment I had sincerely delighted in what the Lord
had done, in walked my heart’s desire.
A few weeks later, the church youth
group moved us. It was quite a job, considering everything from kitty
litter to a baby grand piano had to be moved down thirty-two stairs
onto Main Street! And it was not without some regret that we left
"The Penthouse" to live in the home where we would raise our
family.
That night we stood on the front
porch of our new house, amid mountains of boxes and household goods,
and prayed.
“Oh, Father, thank you for giving
us this place in your perfect timing and not our own. Right now, we
give it back to you. The youth group’s been here already, but you
can be sure they’ll be back. We’ll have the missionaries, the
pastor, and the women’s groups, too. But Lord, we want to use it for
much more than that. We want to be a lighthouse in this neighborhood.
We choose to invite you to live here with us and to share you with
those who spend time here with us.”
Dear Heavenly Father, I squirm with
discomfort at the story of Martha, because she reminds me so much of
myself. Thank you for her example of an open heart and open home. And
thank you for dealing with her in love when she got her priorities
messed up.
Father, help me to listen. Make me
sensitive to your whisper in my heart as I read your Word. I don’t
want to miss what you have for me because I am distracted by other
things.
Lord, I want to give my best to you.
Not for show, not for points, not for fame, but because I love you.
Will you encourage me to do that when the "stuff" of life
crowds in and tempts me to get offtrack? I desire to use my home as a
place where others will see Jesus. Make me aware of opportunities I
can take to reach out in love to those around me.
As I close my eyes to rest, please
speak to my heart in the quiet of this night.
In the precious name of Jesus,
Amen.
Get Up and Go Ideas for
Tomorrow
I will make time to read Luke
10:38-42 tomorrow, asking God to speak to my heart through his Word. I
will write down what I feel he is saying to me through the
passage.
I will check my calendar tomorrow
for dates that I can open my home for Jesus’ sake. I will call a
friend, a couple, or a family who needs encouragement and invite them
for a meal.
I will begin praying for my guest(s)
immediately, asking that God will use me as an instrument of his love
for them, and I will plan food that will not exhaust me to prepare so
that I can take the time to enjoy their company.
A Thought to Ponder As I Fall
Asleep
When guests come to my house, are
they more impressed with my genuine warmth or with the food I serve or
the table service I use?
The Scripture Reading: Luke
10:38-42
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 only one
thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be
taken away from her.”
Final Note: This story was recorded
by Luke, a cultured and educated Gentile, in approximately a.d. 70.
Luke was a physician by trade who later became an evangelist,
historian, and author of about one-fourth of the New Testament. He is
credited with writing both the Book of Luke, in which he records all
that Jesus "began to do and teach" (Acts 1:1), and the Book
of Acts, which details the history of the early church.
Used by permission
of Baker Book House Company, copyright ©©2002. All rights to this
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