Tuesday, January 07, 2014

Slow: Mary Scene Three


Thoughts from my Slow Journal:
Yesterday was hard. Our big task for the day was to prepare our home for guests. But I had planned to clean littles rooms first and it took two hours to clean girls room {sigh} - we worked on the yard in the afternoon but I felt like a mean taskmaster all day. :(

After dinner out with girlfriends, I arrived home to HUGE hugs - tight squeeze hugs and that amazed me for how I pressed my children all day. Do they deep down appreciate the boundary lines? Do they know it is motivated by love? It did not feel remotely slow to me but maybe I need to redefine slow so it doesn't include feelings of happy and simplicity-ness? Hoping our investment of energy yesterday will serve us today so we can allow our guests to slow and to slow with them.



Thought from yesterday: when Rachel said they were trying to keep their room clean I said trying is when trash is picked up and things are where they go, when I got into the stuffed animal bin it had tons of junk in it, that is not trying that is laziness. So now, this begs a question - how can slow exist while laziness is gone?

* * * * *

John 12:1-11

New things besides slowing stand out to me in this passage.

* Martha was serving, they slowed to open their home in hospitality.

* Mary's heart is about worship. Maybe slowing is a state of the heart and mind more than anything?

* Mary was a beauty-seeker: peaceful, calm, slowing allow embracing and creating of beauty; choosing Jesus and worship.

* Mary was extravagant - it was an expensive gift!

* Mary was not worried with what others thought. Even though she was criticized.



* Mary's gift brought beauty to all through the scent that permeated the house.

* Jesus defends Mary. Again.

* I found this note written in my Bible, "Worship gives up convenience."

* The next day was the entry on a donkey with palm branches.


Question to ponder today: How can I slow processes so I can spiritually, physically and mentally slow down? 

*****
Just a few slow glimpses from life here lately!