#46/Just One Thing. Thoughts from the Back Deck...


Last Saturday I had another funeral. A young mom passed into the arms of Jesus as she waited for a liver transplant. 

Sad? Yes. 
But she got it. 
She understood the bigger picture. 

In her Bible, she marked and had it open to the story of Mary and Martha with Jesus visiting them. Below are the last two verses of this narrative. 

41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Luke 10: 38-42

In the movie City Slickers, there is a point in the movie where Curly aka Jack Palance (photo) helps Bill Crystal. He states his observation about all the people who come to the dude ranch to vacation and get their anxiety knots worked out. Curly tells the younger city slicker, Billy Crystal, it doesn't work. 
In life, you need that "one thing". What the "one thing" is, is different for everyone. This has become known as "Curly's Rule" in pop culture. 

The problem is, for us the "one thing" is not only subjective (varies from person to person and even from moment to moment in an individual) that it never is ONE thing because there is always the next stressor, anxious moment, next "one thing" that works and then doesn't work anymore. 

Your "one thing" that you have in life right now, will not always be your spouse, children, job, the bank account...
Those things are wonderful but none are eternal. 

Jesus is different. Martha is gently reminded of that in her anxiousness and emotions of the moment. Her sister, Mary made a different choice. To sit at the feet of Jesus first and everything else would fall into place. 

The one necessary thing is Jesus. Start there and not only will everything else fall into place but you will never have to seek for the next "one thing" again!
Peace out, 
Andy

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