Have you ever known someone who never seemed to rate much attention even though they deserved it?
I heard about a woman like that, let's call her Martha. She lived in a tiny town far away from any city of size and belonged to a very small church that struggled to stay alive.
Martha never taught Sunday School or Bible class. She never sang in the choir. When asked, she offered her standard reply: "Thanks for asking me, but when the good Lord was passing out gifts, he passed right over me. Believe me, you don't want me to try teaching! And ask anyone who sits next to me in church, I can't carry a tune. I'm a follower, not a leader and I like it that way."
She never missed a worship service or a church event and at potlucks, people gobbled up her tasty dishes. Yet Martha would be out in the kitchen, washing dishes and wiping counters and sweeping the floor.
That's probably why people knew her face, but couldn't remember her name.
Hardly anyone noticed when Martha moved away
A few weeks later the grumbling started. The Sunday "coffee guy" said, "This place is falling apart! I came to put the coffee on, like always, and there's no coffee to put in the coffeemaker. Whose job is it to buy the extra supplies?"
A flustered woman said, "We have an urgent need and I can't find any toilet paper or paper towels in the supply cabinet! This never happened before."
One of those who overheard said, "And whoever is supposed to sweep the sidewalks is falling down on the job! What's going on around here?"
You're way ahead of me, aren't you?
Martha, the I-have-no-gifts-or-talents lady, always took care of those things. Quietly, on her own.
She lived close to the church, which allowed her to do her work at times when the pastor would be studying in his office. Hardly anyone ever noticed. When he heard the complaints he made it known how this quiet woman faithfully ministered to everyone else--not for applause, but out of love.
Perhaps you're a little--or a lot--like Martha. You go around blessing the people around you and never look for praise.
Maybe you think you have no "place"--or if you do, it's way at the bottom of the pecking order
If that's where you are, here's a short poem for all of us, no matter what we do each day:
YOUR PLACE
Is your place a small place?
Tend it with care!--
He set you there.
Is your place a large place?
Guard it with care!
He set you there.
Whate'er your place, it is
Not yours alone, but His
Who set you there.
--John Oxenham
Whatever we do, wherever we are in life, it's not by chance
We all feel like "little people" from time to time. That doesn't matter unless we brood over it and think we should receive more recognition. What our Lord thinks of us is what matters because he knows our hearts and our motives.
Here's a much-loved Bible verse to hang onto in every situation:
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you."
--Jeremiah 29:11-12
Still growing,
Lenore
