I have extra heartbeats under my roof, which puts me in my happy place. We had a joyous reunion at the airport, as a little curly-headed almost three year-old came flying across baggage claim, arms wide open yelling, “MIMMIE!!!!” A movie director couldn’t have produced anything better. It would’ve been a “cut” and “wrap.” Her little hoss of a baby brother (packing on an additional 3-4 pounds since I saw him last, and growing 3 inches longer), gave me a stellar, Mimmie-melting grin, too. It was wonderful all around.

When we got home (after numerous requests to see my garage[??] and after a quick drop in on her Aunt Maddie), Lilli wanted to see the “playroom,” which is Lilli-speak for my grandkid room. We’ve been FaceTiming about all the toys awaiting her arrival, and the dollhouse, and she was ready to get down to business. She walked in and said, “It’s so PRETTY. It’s AMAZING.”

SHE’S amazing. But I digress…

She sat down at the dollhouse, moved a couple of pieces of furniture, then got down and pulled out the old Fisher Price castle. Then the Fisher Price Main Street. And the bin of all the Little People. Then the Jack in the Box. Abandoning all that, she climbed on the top bunk, then got down. Throwing open the closet door, she pulled out the Breyer horse barn and all the horses. She came back out pushing the grocery cart.

Finally, she stopped and, turning from thing to thing, back and forth, fits and starts, she said, “I wanna ride a horse.”

Obviously, there were so many choices that instead of honing in on just one and settling into it, she tried to do them all and ended up only half-heartedly doing any. She was completely distracted by the “too much.”

Our world offers us a jillion choices and we often feel like we have to partake in them all. We start to add things to our calendars and feel somehow “less than” if every square on the page is not full. But even for the greatest multi-taskers, there comes a point where a lot is just too much. Nothing gets finished, and more, nothing gets enjoyed.

Isn’t it time to pass over the good for the best?

Last night before bed, Lilli started to play again, but finally crawled up in my lap in the rocker, with a couple of books in her hands. She settled in and sat completely still, totally engrossed in Dr. Suess and The Three Bears. Her curls laid back against a heart beating out its love for her, and in that moment, all those toys faded into the shadows as she enjoyed the very best thing that room had to offer.

And we were both thankful.

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 ESV

“Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out—but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.” 1 John 2:17 MSG