Martha Got a Bad Wrap
I borrowed a book from a friend recently called, “Having a Mary heart in a Martha world.” To be honest, I’m not even half way through it yet. It is amidst the stack of books on my night stand that I want to read to completion, but only get a chapter in here and there!
Basically, I struggle with the overwhelming desire to get it all done…and I mean get it ALLLLLL done. Every day. Every area of my life. Every subject in homeschooling. Every household chore. You get the picture?! I was beginning to really get my priorities out of whack. I began to realize how much quality time I could be spending with the children if I would just take a break from the “LISTS” for an hour here and there.
I find great joy in doing “Martha” things. I love helping people in need with practical things…cleaning their house, making a meal, keeping their kids. I truly enjoy those things and am richly blessed by doing it. I don’t want recognition, a pat on the back, or a favor returned. Recently I did something “extra” for a friend at church. When she found out what I did, she wrote me a thank you note and in the note she wrote, “It is so great to have some Marthas around!” It was like a bullet to the heart! LOL! 🙂 I know she meant well, but because I’ve been trying to be more like Mary, being called a Martha was like taking ten steps in the wrong direction. I shared that with her at church, in good humor, of course. She told me that she, too, is a Martha. But she also said that Martha has gotten a bad wrap over the centuries. Mary chose the “right thing” the day that she sat at Jesus’ feet instead of hustling around the house with Martha. That parable was an example of a bad choice on Martha’s part. There has to be balance. My friend made the point that if everyone was a “Mary”, nothing would get done! There is nothing wrong with being a Martha, but we have to be sure we choose the “right thing” when the circumstance requires us to lay aside our lists and goals and just be in the moment…like at the feet of Jesus!
I do have to fight my natural inclination to be Sgt. Major Martha on a daily basis. I’m learning. It’s a process that requires daily renewal through prayer and spending time in God’s word. The important thing is to seek the Lord in every situation and be patient. Wait on Him to give you an answer. Maybe He will give you peace about a certain decision that has been weighing on you. Maybe He will send someone you respect to give you advice that is perfect for your circumstance. You must learn to recognize when the Lord is giving you an answer. Don’t pass it off as being coincidence just because it wasn’t the answer you were hoping for.
Okay, I’m chasing rabbits now. I hope you’ve gotten the point I was trying to make. 🙂
~martha…I mean, audrey