Saturday, I was talking with an international looking for work. He was a trained microbiologist and he was despairing about being able to find a job. I was able to assure him that there would be jobs appearing in the food industry. Just follow the news and I notice what a mess there is with food contamination and in particular convenience foods. This week, in the US it was announced that 32 people in 12 different states were sickened with salmonella poisoning after eating precooked, frozen chicken dinners. The problem was failure to note the food was only browned and not cooked throughly and people simply partially microwaved the meals. Then also in Michigan 26 people were identified with E. coli O157:H7, a serious strain with a mortality rate between two and seven per cent. Sadly they shipped the 5lb bags lettuce into Canada and didn't tell Canadian officials about the problem for days.As food safety continues to be big news, I continue to reflect how much the current issues are connected to convenience and the quick meal. Our lives, in fact seem to run off at a horribly fast speed and I at times I just feel I want to sit down and draw breath. Why do we run ourselves ragged? Life is busy and there are many demands on us. At least I try and eat a freshly cooked meal in a local restaurant sitting at a table and with staff who know me. I try and make it a mealtime rather than a snatched fast food grab.
Today Euge asked the question today who or what is king in our lives? It's not a new question, not at least to me. I've been asking it here in the blog for sometime. But it needs to be asked and constantly asked. When was the last time I was happy to tell others I had sat down for a few hours and spent time with God? Instead I know I have the very real tendency to say that I am so busy for God - I'm just so busy! Maybe I'm busy because I spend too much time on the computer and email and internet. Perhaps I tend to avoid the claims of tidying and ordering my life, seeking to do things for others than for myself. If I want to make sure God is King and be less Martha and more Mary, then what I need to be is less stuck in the doing image and more being with the one who loves me. Ultimately it is not about sacrifice and service but being with the one who loves you.
"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. Luke 10:40-42