grad parties and what is needed

Have you ever been to a high school graduation party? If so, have you ever noticed how certain groups of people congregate together? You have your family group, your coworkers, your friends from that one class that you invited but really didn't think would show up, your band/sports/art/newspaper/specific activity friends, your friends that graduated before you that don't know many of your friends now, and your friend friends - the ones that you have the most memories with. Now the way most parties that I've gone to go is this: you get to the location where the party is, go in and try to find either the graduate or other people that you know, talk with the group that you know for a little while, and then leave and go to the next party, all while not really talking to people that you don't know. Why is it that most people don't go out of their comfort zone and talk with other people at these parties? Is it because meeting somebody new requires vulnerability? Is it because you have to put yourself out there for the other person to "judge?" Or is it because, in our culture, we have gotten really good at compartmentalizing our lives so much to that point that we put our friends into boxes or lists? That's how we keep our busy lives organized; its the way we are able to do so much more than we did 25 or 30 years ago.

I have several friends who are very organized. They have their planner with them at all times and have every task that needs to be done written down on a list. Now I'm not trying to bash on planning and making to-do lists, my life would be so much more crazy and hectic (in a not so good way) if I didn't use my calendar and to-do lists. The problem that I see with planners and lists is when our lives are so planned out and we are so boxed in that we don't know how to survive without it. It reminds me of Luke 10:38-42, when Jesus comes and visits two sisters, Martha and Mary. Now Martha, I see her as the biblical version of the modern "superwoman" or "supermom," the one who does amazing amounts of tasks each day. I would bet that a modern day Martha would be the one with multiple planners, several to-do lists, and basically lives on caffeine. Yet, Jesus tells her, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed." As much as I love being organized and being able to acomplish a lot in a little amount of time, I think this is a lesson that I need to remember. The only thing that is needed is to spend time with my number one, Jesus.

Jesus, help me to remember that you are the only thing that is needed and nothing else that I do matters if you are not.