Have you heard the song “The Good Part”? A young singer expresses several uncertainties about his life. He ponders about when things are going to happen for him and how hard it can be to get where he wants to be in life. Here’s the first verse:
Have I done my best here, or Will I be here next year, or Are these my best years yet? Was looking forward to Being important but I'm not important yet If you put this scene on a movie screen Is it called a happy end? If the work gets me Where I'm supposed to be Will I know I've made it then? It's so hard
Then, the music drops out, and he sings the line we all have felt during uncertain times in our lives:
Can we skip to the good part?
This young man was probably in his twenties when he wrote these lyrics about coming of age and worrying about how hard it will be to make a good life. But here I am, a middle-aged woman who worries about all manner of things, often asking the Lord if I can skip to the good part because… it’s so hard.
“Lord, can we skip to the part when my teenager is more mature?” “Can we skip to the part when I’ll reunite with my oldest son?” “Can we skip to the part when I’m debt-free?” “Can we skip to the part where my husband and I see eye to eye?” And when things are really crazy, I ask, “Lord, can we skip to the part where you meet us in the clouds and bring us home?”
Sometimes, when life is hard, I wish I could fast forward to the part when I look back at the hard work it took and smile. But you probably know as well as I do that life brings all kinds of challenges. There will always be something hard to do and something to worry about. So we have to find the good part in the present moment because the future is not promised.
Remember the story of Martha, who welcomed Jesus into her home in Luke 10? While she was busy serving and worrying, Mary, her sister, was sitting at Jesus’ feet. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me.” Jesus responded by saying her name twice, “Martha, Martha…” He wanted her to listen closely as He revealed exactly what He saw in her heart and mind. “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.”
Martha was distracted with serving those who had gathered in her home. Based on Jesus’ response, I imagine serving and cleaning up after everyone wasn’t the only thing on her mind. If she was anything like me, her physical work was nothing in comparison to the mental acrobatics of worrying about hard things and uncertain times. We don’t know exactly what she was worried about, but Jesus sure did. He saw through to her anxiety. Martha was so worried that she failed to recognize the profound moment she was living in.
Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Mary was living in the good part. The good part isn’t somewhere in the future; the good part is trusting in the Lord every moment. Living in the peace and presence of God every day that’s the good part. The best part. Mary decided not to worry about what would happen next because she had the best part of her life right there in the moment. It’s during the hard times, in the uncertainty, in the middle of the mess that we, as believers, have the opportunity to sit at the feet of Jesus and fully trust Him.
You can find me in the following places:
Amazon: Yvonne Marie
Audible: Yvonne Marie
Goodreads: Yvonne Marie
Can We Skip to the Good Part?