A few weeks ago I attended the International Mops Convention in Dallas, Texas. When we checked in we were given a small round white pin to wear. On the pin were bold black letters, SDWSC. These letters made no sense to us and soon became the talk of the convention as women, like myself, tried to guess what these letters stood for.
Eilsa Morgan, the CEO of Mops ended the convention with a compelling message out of
Mark 14:1-9. She beautifully unfolded for us what those letters were.
The passage in Mark is a story about Mary of Bethany, whom we know as the girl who sat at the feet of Jesus, and the sister to “busy bee” Mary, and “up from the grave” Lazarus. In this passage we are told that Mary poured an expensive jar of perfume on the head of Jesus while he was at Simon’s home before the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Those who watched her criticized this action towards Jesus accusing her of being wasteful– they thought the perfume could have been sold to provide money for the poor.
But, Jesus said,
“Leave her alone. ” “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing…She did what she could.” Mark 14:6,8
There were those 5 letters, SDWSC…She Did What She Could!
Mary had taken what she had, the alabaster jar, and she used what she had, to do what she could. In this case, she anointed the head of Jesus, with what she had…and Jesus said, “She has done a beautiful thing” v. 6
Mary is an example of a WILD woman. What she did was frowned upon…from sitting at the feet of Jesus, to breaking the seal on the alabaster jar. Her love for Jesus was not politically or socially correct or understood. Yet, Jesus said that sitting at his feet would not be taken from her, and that the lavish perfume given for him was a beautiful thing. It’s WILD to please God rather than people. It’s WILDER still to do just WHAT we have been called and created to do–no more, no less.
As leaders we are not required to do EVERYTHING, or ALL that we can. We can learn from this and do just WHAT we can, in each moment, in each day, unto Jesus.
Are you doing what you could today?
Daily Prayer
Father, today I am in pain and not able to do much of anything. What is it that I can do? Help me to see what I can do today, and to do it. Maybe it’s prayer, or perhaps it’s catching up on correspondence or reading…in any case, Lord may I do what I can today, the thing that you have required of me today, October 31st 2008. Amen
