I feel that I have to be a Martha, when I really want to be a Mary
Most days I am Martha, busy, busy, busy. I run around trying to get things done. So many things to get done and not enough time. I think of the story in the Bible of Martha and Mary and how Martha was running around the house to get things done. By nature I am my names sake, I am a Mary. I want to just sit at the feet of Jesus and soak up his goodness. There are times, I am studying or just living life and I have absorbed some of God's goodness or in the moment I think I need to blog about that, I need to write more about the goodness of my Lord and Savior and I need the world to know about it, but it's fleeting and my Martha self comes through and tasks need to be done and accomplished, so blogging and journaling goes undone.
My Martha tasks......
We are trying to plant this church, I feel completely compelled to do a good job. To outreach, to do the books, to support my husband and keep up the blog, the Facebook, and the Twitter account. I want to do more with the women. I want to disciple, have coffee with individuals, I want, I want.
My first priority though are my children. I want to read a devotion to them every night, have girls days, go shopping, I want to teach them about God, his love, his greatness, and his peace. I want to know about their days, I want to help them reach their goals, whether it be improving their report card or playing a sport, gymnastics or dance. I want to volunteer at their school, I want to be in the PTA and most of all I want to be present and them to know and feel that I am present, front and center.
I want to do a good job at my job, but most of the time, it's just a job. I think about the scripture,
Colossians 3:23 - And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
And sometimes I think about this scripture:
Whatever you do, do well, for in death, where you are going, there is no working or planning, or knowing, or understanding.(Ecc 9:10)
So I strive and do my best at doing my best, but it is another task for me to accomplish each day to make ends meet, and serve my family in the capacity that they need me to right now.
It is a Martha job for sure.
Then there is school. Sometimes I wonder what was I thinking? What am I thinking and why am I doing this? Well there is a part of me that feels I should do this, to better myself, that I should have work goals, that maybe somehow there will be a better opportunity for me and the only way to get more money and better opportunities is to further your education, so here I am, one more thing to busy me up. I have prayed about it and prayed and I feel God has lead me into this and provided the opportunity to get it done.
In this world I think there are out of necessity Marthas and Marys and both are needed, both are important. All the Martha's think Marys are lazy and Mary's think Martha needs to slow down and take a deep breath. Even Jesus told Martha, that what Mary was doing was not wrong.
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”Luke 1-:38:41-42
So what better affirmation than from God? I think this scripture has spoken to many women to remind them to slow down, to try and find balance in life and with him and that sometimes we just need to sit at his feet and listen to him and let the laundry pile up and things go un-done.
I cherish my times with the Lord and pray that one day I will have more Mary moments to sit at his feet and soak up his goodness.
Until then, I will thank him for the Mary moments in my life when I spend time with him and soak up his love. I pray for balance and strength to not only do the role of Martha that is required of me at the moment, but to cherish the Mary moments.
My Martha tasks......
We are trying to plant this church, I feel completely compelled to do a good job. To outreach, to do the books, to support my husband and keep up the blog, the Facebook, and the Twitter account. I want to do more with the women. I want to disciple, have coffee with individuals, I want, I want.
My first priority though are my children. I want to read a devotion to them every night, have girls days, go shopping, I want to teach them about God, his love, his greatness, and his peace. I want to know about their days, I want to help them reach their goals, whether it be improving their report card or playing a sport, gymnastics or dance. I want to volunteer at their school, I want to be in the PTA and most of all I want to be present and them to know and feel that I am present, front and center.
I want to do a good job at my job, but most of the time, it's just a job. I think about the scripture,
Colossians 3:23 - And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
And sometimes I think about this scripture:
Whatever you do, do well, for in death, where you are going, there is no working or planning, or knowing, or understanding.(Ecc 9:10)
So I strive and do my best at doing my best, but it is another task for me to accomplish each day to make ends meet, and serve my family in the capacity that they need me to right now.
It is a Martha job for sure.
Then there is school. Sometimes I wonder what was I thinking? What am I thinking and why am I doing this? Well there is a part of me that feels I should do this, to better myself, that I should have work goals, that maybe somehow there will be a better opportunity for me and the only way to get more money and better opportunities is to further your education, so here I am, one more thing to busy me up. I have prayed about it and prayed and I feel God has lead me into this and provided the opportunity to get it done.
In this world I think there are out of necessity Marthas and Marys and both are needed, both are important. All the Martha's think Marys are lazy and Mary's think Martha needs to slow down and take a deep breath. Even Jesus told Martha, that what Mary was doing was not wrong.
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”Luke 1-:38:41-42
So what better affirmation than from God? I think this scripture has spoken to many women to remind them to slow down, to try and find balance in life and with him and that sometimes we just need to sit at his feet and listen to him and let the laundry pile up and things go un-done.
I cherish my times with the Lord and pray that one day I will have more Mary moments to sit at his feet and soak up his goodness.
Until then, I will thank him for the Mary moments in my life when I spend time with him and soak up his love. I pray for balance and strength to not only do the role of Martha that is required of me at the moment, but to cherish the Mary moments.
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