“But one thing is necessary.  Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:42

Mary of Bethany … the contemplative, earnest, passionate woman who sat at the feet of Christ and then annointed those same feet with her perfume and tears.

Certainly we can learn from her.   To be honest, she intimidates me.  In fact, she intimidates me even more than the Proverbs 31 woman.   Mrs. P31 I can relate to … she was busy, a worker.   Mary, on the other hand … she was a listener.

She could ignore the mess and chaos, didn’t see the dishes in the sink or the laundry piled high, couldn’t hear the noises of busy because her single focus was being in the presence of the Lord.

Oh, that one gets me!

Mary understood a truth that Ann Voskamp beauitfully articulates in her book,

Oh yes, I know you, the busyness of your life leaving little room for the source of your life. (64)

Mary chose the Source.   And she was honored for it.  Her life echoes the words of David,

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek:  that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.   Psalm 27:4

This, then, is the second key to a Mary Christmas … Take time to dwell.

Will you join Mary at the feet of the Savior, experiencing the fullness of Immanuel, God with us?

During this time of year, when schedules are overfilled and the hours are way too few, isn’t it even more important that we give first priority, best attention, to our time with the Lord?

One of the habits that I’ve learned from my husband is to read the Gospel of Luke during the month of December.  One of its twenty-four chapters each day through Christmas Eve.  There is a sweet joy in reading of His resurrection and ascension on December 24th.

Another suggestion I’d offer is to use those beautiful old carols as a basis for your prayers.   Recalling the “Silent Night” as you prepare for the day ahead can be a calming way to refocus your  heart on what really matters.

How you do it isn’t the point … the issue is making a choice, a priority, of spending time in the Presence of the Lord every day during this season.

We all face struggles in this area.  Likely the pressures and demands of this time of year will make the difficulty even greater … find someone who will hold you accountable.   Two of my friends use Twitter to encourage one another in the Word.   Use Facebook or texting … technology can be a great tool.   But make the commitment and ask someone to join you in your efforts.

How do you make personal time with Christ a priority during this busy holiday season?

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Previous posts in this series:

Introduction

Mary, the Mother of Jesus … Trusting God with your  plans

Thanks for joining me as I’m contemmplating  a {Mary} Christmas. If you’d like, grab a button from the sidebar and place it on your website. We’ll use the hashtag #MaryChristmas to encourage one another. One last thing, if this post was encouraging to you, will you take a minute to share it with your friends on Facebook or Twitter? Thank you so much for joining me. I am praying you will