Sometimes our lives are busier than they need to be.  We aren’t very adept at distinguishing the valuables from the clutter. In the turbo-charged engine of daily life, everything on our plate seems equally important. But everything on my daily To-Do list is not of equal importance.  If earthquaking news struck your life later this week, it wouldn’t take very long to discover what’s truly important.

Some things are musts. Other things can wait.  Mary Magdalene understood this.  Sure, she had to brush her teeth and splash her face. She had her circle of acquaintances who were always messaging her or texting her, or whatever they used back then. There were bargain basement prices at the market she would not want to miss and birthdays she felt she must attend. But when it came to Christ – He was her single priority in life.

After everyone went home from the Cross and the stone had been rolled to the sepulchre – where was Mary Magdalene?

And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. Matthew 27:59-61

Can you see her sitting in a mourning position with her eyes fixed on the big stone that now closed the mouth of the tomb? What was she doing? Others quickly left for their homes – but the curtain falls on that day with the poignant scene of this devoted woman and her friend sitting over against the sepulchre. 

Are you familiar with the word lingering? It simply means staying longer than necessary because of a reluctance to leave.

It seems that Mary Magdalene, whose dark life had been radically changed by Christ, just sat there, lingering and cherishing sweet memories of the Man who transformed her life.  

On Sunday morning, before there was a hint of morning sunbeams, she was up and off to the tomb. She was the one to discover the rolled-away stone. John tells the rest of the story. After he and Peter left the empty tomb and returned to their homes, Mary Magdalene lingered alone in the Garden.  It seems she was totally absorbed in her thoughts of Christ. Her tears flowed.

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Had she been in a rush, or had she failed to linger a little while longer, she would have missed that personal word “MARY!” from that special voice. She would have missed the opportunity to respond with “RABONNI!”  or “My Great One” or “My Great Teacher!” (John 20:16) Lingering in the garden paid off! 

Maybe you are thinking: “Yes, but..society is moving much faster today; none of us have time to linger spiritually. I don’t like the rat race, but if I don’t keep pace, I’ll lose the race.” Which race are you trying to win? Which race are you afraid of losing?

Are you trapped by your own thinking or influenced by the pressures all around you? Do you genuinely believe this week, this month, offers no time for you to linger in His Presence? 

There's just no time. Finding a couple of minutes to grab a verse or two as I gobble down my cereal is about as good as it gets! Lingering sounds a bit esoteric or even romantic to me - it's a luxury this age does not offer those of us who are trying to get ahead."

Strangely, we know how to linger when saying ‘good night’ to the person we are dating.  Some take forever to say goodbye online. Others have no problem lingering to see the final score – even if it means overtime.

Think about this: there is a strong connection between lingering and loving. We linger for what we love.  Lot’s family lingered in Sodom – stayed there as long as they could. The angels had to drag them out. (Genesis 19:16)

Boethia Thompson wrote:

Jesus, Lord, I’m never weary

Looking on Thy Cross and shame;

Gazing there I seem so near Thee,

Dear to me each throb of pain.

Ever near Thee,

Lingering here, I would remain.

I may survive as a Christian without lingering, but I’ll never thrive. Thriving believers spend time lingering with the one they love – Christ.   

Don’t hesitate to share a thought from your personal experience or a verse that has been a blessing to you –  in the comment section below. Or, if you would like to reach out privately, click below.

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