Too Bent or Two Bent?

By Steph Fink

By all recognizable measures, the holidays are here.  I love wandering through the stores all decked out in pumpkins, turkeys and Christmas trees…while I’m still wearing my flip flops!  While all the retail stores seem ahead of schedule, a lot of the time, I feel behind; not just during the holidays, but in my daily life.

All throughout the year, I love having friends over.  But there’s one little catch.  I’m not all that great of a cook.  I’m a good organizer, but not a great cook. Never once have I had a friend enter into our home saying, “I can’t wait to dig into your soufflé a-la-something.”  There’s no soufflé, it’s just us. While I do serve food, it will most likely be a basic meal, perhaps a COSTCO purchase.  Sure, I want to make a nice meal and provide a relatively clean home.   But I care more about the laughs, the relationships, the connecting and the memories.


One small gesture that I like to do, when I entertain, is put out fun, festive and other-than-white-napkins.   It's not much, just one small gesture, which shows a small amount of honor to our guests. I no longer want to get "too bent" over elaborate preparations but spend more time having fun with our guests.  While I still struggle with my culinary expertise deficiency, God continues to deal with me about how I get "too bent" about life sometimes.


On one particular day, I felt drawn to kneel before God to pray.  Kneeling, like the napkin, is just one small gesture...that shows honor.  In Luke 10:38-42 you find Mary who sat and welcomed Jesus as she entertained.  In contrast, her sister Martha fretted over the details, more than her guest. 
I don't want to get too bent, but live a life on two bent knees...that's the Mary vs. Martha difference in a nutshell.  I decided I'm going to pursue to be more like Mary, than Martha, and, I'm not talking about Martha Stewart!  The “main course” is fellowship.

This holiday season, will join me as I pursue letting go of being "too bent" and get down on "two bent" as a small gesture, to invite the right Guest before your guests arrive?

Steph's writing has appeared in Proverbs 31 Ministry, P31 Woman magazine.  In her free time she can be found encouraging numerous MOPS group in the
northern Virginia area on the "Colorful Art of Friendship - Allowing
God to Paint the Masterpieces" and MOPS leaders on "Being a Bright
Light".

Steph can be found blogging at www.encouragedinheart.org or on Facebook at Stephanie Fink or on her Facebook page Encouraged in Heart - Stephanie Fink.  She loves big hair, big cups of coffee and big bear hugs.