Chosen That Good Part.

Protective nature seems to belong naturally to us as mortals.  Our hearts are erected in such a way to persevere what we find precious.  When attachment to something develops, our defense lies in securing what we cherish, for we long to have it with us endlessly.  Great lengths are sometimes traveled to certify conservation of our prize.  It is the essence of our heart: what we love, we seek to shelter.  It is a blessed attribute, one that is celestially produced.  Our desire to guard emulates yearnings that both our Father and Savior exemplify, for they are ultimate protectors, in all things, in all places, and for all people.   However, our aching to protect is currently an unfinished feature, and our natural man can be easily triggered by residing in this twisted world.  When we identify that our fortifications rest around possessions and the acquisition of them, or our securities are being fastened around amusing distractions, perhaps our connection to this heavenly ability has become skewed.  With the world spinning madly forward we have lost regard to that which is most significant.  As our energies are being centered around sustaining worldly treasures, our preservative barriers, the ones that safeguard our most valuable gifts, experience decay from lack of attention.  While we busy ourselves in defending our fixations, we lose focus in the protection of a priceless blessing, our gift of time.     

The world has evolved remarkably from our progenitors.  It has altered from an existence where labor was required consistently throughout each day in order to sustain life, to a culture where developments have created efficiencies which reward us with a greater availability of time.  The blessings of such a lifestyle are exceptional.  We have the opportunity to engage in the Lord’s work unlike anything prior.  Our temporal needs are able to be satisfied more rapidly.  This allows our open time to be placed in the Lord’s hands to be utilized wherever and whenever He needs us, in order to move His work forward.  Every progression and expansion that heightens our proficiencies enables us to become more immersed in His service.  It is no coincidence that the world’s advancements coincide with the hastening of His work.  He wants us to be engaged in bringing souls unto Him, and blesses us with ample time to do so.  However, Satan advances at an equaled pace.  He gleefully views unoccupied time as a powerful weapon of destruction, and utilizes it as such.  He assembles diversions, interruptions, and disturbances which crowd our vacant time, and distract us from our purpose.  Our requirement is to detect these interferences and practice restraint and discipline within our activity.  Remembering how much we have been given can act as inspiration.  For we have been profusely blessed, so intensely that matching it cannot be accomplished, but it must be sought after. 

Do you recall being young and hearing an adult say something along the lines of: Time flies.  I distinctly recollect believing how odd that statement was.  To me, time was unhurried and seemed to dawdle along.  As I continue to grow my understanding of this sentiment has swiftly aligned with the elders of my youth.  Time does fly.  Moments glide into days, which soar into months, which conclude a year, and I am left racing to meet it at the finish line.  Experiencing this fact of life is assisting me in grasping an appreciation for each individual instant that I am given within this mortal sphere, for every one is invaluable.  It may appear as though time is of endless abundance, but it unravels swiftly.  We must seek to use what we have been provided in superior ways.  Delaying or procrastinating the use of our time in an advantageous manner only slows our progression.  We are not allotted more for what we squander.  Its rapidity should alert our awareness to the necessity of protection and careful consideration of where we devote it.

Busyness should never stand as a indication of our time being well spent.  It is not the quantity of what we accomplish, but the quality we supply that marks greatness.  This is an area I have to place blaring horns to awaken recognition of my current standing, for I struggle here.  I love to be active and involved.  The word yes seems to fall from my lips before the realization of my commitment has met my brain.  This equates to overload status.  When I reach this point I find hasty actions that only encompass portions of my heart, for I didn’t have the time to supply it with totality.  I discover I lack deeds born from love, which stands as recompense for my efforts, but instead acquire a check on my to-do list signifying achievement.  Perhaps if we are not cautious the same techniques may be mimicked in the way we utilize our gift of time relating to our spiritual advancement. We may believe that our blessing is being well used due to the deficiency of idle behaviors, but occupation of our time amounts to nothing if an absence of significant activity exists.  Our time must be used in greater ways than finalizing hectic schedules and concluding checklists.  If it is contributing to no one, if it fails to enhance where we stand incomplete, if it is avoiding the construction of the kingdom of God on earth, our time, that special gift, is being recklessly exhausted.

There is a lofty price with spending our time in such a frenzied approach.  Although not always by intention, most commonly, our extensive and lengthy to-do’s supersede the people that surround us.  As we work to complete tasks, obtain belongings, or engage in entertainments, we must be attentive that they always fall secondary, and that our focal point lies in people.  Surely, there is no finer way to occupy our time then by committing it to others.  As we seek to protect our time we need never worry about misusing it while engaged in service.  These are the moments where our time is utilized perfectly.  In fact, we must learn how to reposition our defensive walls that they create security over our time with those we cherish, rather than shielding time for hobbies, possessions, or personal leisure.  In place of consuming our time with things, we must devote it to people. There is no greater way to demonstrate our love for another than by spending time with them.  Being cared for by someone that carves out time, and never need look at a schedule to fit you in, adds confidence in their love.  Feelings of validation and importance are bred from such affection.  I know this to be true as I have been the recipient of this type of devotion.

I have an incredible husband, one that strongly comprehends the value of time and has an established awareness of his priorities.  He is a busy man.  He is very active in his callings from the Lord, has a demanding career, and is always immersing himself in service to others.  Despite the multiple requests for his time, my daughters and I never go without his wholehearted attentions.  He dedicates his heart first to his Heavenly Father and Savior, and closely behind, we stand.  When he walks through the door, no matter the chaos and commotion of his day, we are engulfed in his love.  He looks us in our eyes as we speak, places interest in the activities of our day, asks questions about our feelings, and provides tangible affections that illustrate his love for us.  We occupy his free time.  He attends all events, is present in our family recreational activities, and is an active participant during such memories.  His hobbies and personal interests are created of us.  He wants to be with us.  We are important to him.  His available time is given to the Lord, and then presented to us.  Never does he do this begrudgingly, but out of true desire, out of flawless love.  To say that he is adored is a terrific minimization of fact.  He is the very core of our home.  As I watch my daughters in his arms, I gain solidified conviction of the way my Heavenly Father loves me.   For his love for them mimics my Father’s tender affections.

Above all, there is one that we must secure an abundance of time for, it is our Savior.  Our innate protective behaviors should fiercely preserve our time with Him.  Too frequently our defenses are not placed in safeguarding individualized, quiet, alone time with Christ.  The time we offer is hurried, filled with actions of monotony, and with an absentee of heart.  Our souls are dim when we thinly slice the allocation of our time, for they require His presence, His touch, His voice, His love to be vitalized.  Christ never acts in haste.  He is calm, peaceful, collective, and provides unending and individualized time for each one of us.  We must match His pace and emulate His attentions.  When we coincide with Him we find His spirit is abounding and unmistakably tangible.  He must be the central occupation of our time and energies.  Tasks, objects, or even other people must never pull away devoted attention to Him.  When we give our time to the Savior first, we find that our time used afterwards is spent better.  Our priorities become more clear, distractions become less captivating, and our desires align with everything and anything that correlates with Him.  Our determination in providing time for others becomes heightened, for we are taught of His perfected love in the moments with Him, and we seek for our deeds to bear resemblance of it. 

As Christ was traveling, calling and instructing the seventy, He was taken in by a woman named Martha.  I love this scripture story.  How closely I can relate with dear Martha.  Here the Savior sat in her home, and she sought to serve Him in everyway.  Can you imagine it?  When I have visitors, I work tirelessly prior, during, and after to ensure everything is orderly.  I can understand why Martha labored so greatly.  Her intentions were good.  She was striving to show Him her love through her acts of service.  Her sister Mary did not engage in the same manner.  The scriptures report that Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.  Martha was frustrated when she found herself working alone and spoke to the Savior of it.  His words reveal how essential our time with Him is:

And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:41-42)

Chosen.  It is my favorite word within the verses.  We choose where our time is spent.  Whether it be with Him, or whether it be given to something or someone else.  Mary’s ability to recognize the magnitude of the moment and to resign her normal activities that she may spend every minute with Christ, listening, learning, and simply experiencing His presence stands as a model we must seek to emulate.  Although Martha’s actions were righteous, she failed to recognize the immensity of the circumstances that surrounded her.  She continued with daily chores, engaged in additional tasks, not out of selfishness, but because she wanted to serve.  However, she was allowing good intentions to act as distractions, and the part she chose was inferior.  The scriptures describe her service by utilizing the word cumbered, which means to hinder or obstruct.  The way she was choosing to utilize her time was interfering with the Savior and from the goodness that pours from Him.  She was missing what her sister was gloriously obtaining, time spent with Him.  Indeed, Mary chose the good part, which was, always has been, and always will be found with Christ.

I adore the symbolism that lies in Mary’s physical reactions when she is with Christ.  Mary…sat at Jesus’ feet.  She seated herself as close as she could to Him.  She craved His presence and hungered for His words.  Her position demonstrates her desires.  She wasn’t distracted or concerned with other events or happenings that surrounded her.  No amount of time was designated.  Her concentration and attentions were focused upon Him.  Her concerns of daily duties left her mind.  Her companionship to others, even her sister, was momentarily discontinued, that He may stand as her emphasis.  Her dedications offered her a significant blessing.  The undisturbed moments she acquired with Christ were engrained into her heart.  He promised that experiences gained alongside Him shall not be taken away.  They become embedded into our souls, amplifying who and what we are, and satisfying our yearnings from within.  We have been taught that by what intensity we give, with the same intensity it will be returned.  How fervently we desire, prepare, and participate in our moments with Christ, will be reciprocated in our blessings from being with Him. 

Time is a unique and special gift.  It is provided so we may acquire the most from this mortal experience, that we may one day reach a perfected status.  Our world is accelerating, and along with it blessings of efficiency continue to appear.  With the allowance of more time comes the requirement of employing it to not only build ourselves, but the kingdom of our Father and Savior here on this earth.  Every single moment of our time must be utilized in the best of ways.  Our protection should primarily rest in sheltering unbroken time with the Savior, and secondarily in providing it to others.   We must fasten Mary’s example to our hearts and reflect on it frequently.  Do we crave time with Him the way she displayed?  Do we defend time with Him the way she demonstrated?  Do we choose the good part just as she did?  Christ, He is the good part.  The best part.  The most superior portion of life.  The most superior use of our time.  We will never look back and wish we had spent it elsewhere.  Instead the memories of our moments with Him will radiate joy and will stand as the crowning parts of life which we cherish most. 

Choose Him.  Always Him.  Choose the good part.