Thursday, February 14, 2013

Embracing Martha

Saturday- not only church day, but watch my friends boys while her and her husband attend a wedding, Sunday- Kid's birthday party, Monday- church planning then crash, Tuesday- Men's Ministry dinner out and I have a Skype appointment, Wednesday- See Wicked with my Mother-in-law and sister-in-law, Thursday- Intern over for dinner and church meeting, Friday- new couple in the church over for dinner, Saturday- Church.......

My head is spinning with all the business lately! It's all good stuff, but boy do I need a break! Oh, that list is just the evenings! Not only all of the above, but also: home school my boys, keep up with my 3 year old, watch my 5 month old nephew, feed everyone, keep up with house chores, plan for church, etc..... and now my head is spinning again!

I don't know what the solution is, or if there even is one! God gave me a scripture to help pull me back to focus though...



     "As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
Luke 10:38-42

Boy, do I feel like a Martha lately! There is all this work to be done and I better get to it or the ball will be dropped! Oh, but wait a minute...can't someone help me? Isn't there anyone that can step up?

I feel like at the stage of our new church plant I have to be the Martha. There are too many new Christians that need to be Mary, and just soak up all of God that they can! I need my Mary time too, but I am coming to realize that this has to be accomplished differently that it used to. I need to carve out more one on one time with my Savior. I need to teach my children to make time for their alone time with God and for them to allow me that time.

I must embrace Martha right now. After all, Martha was the one that invited Jesus to her house in the first place. She made sure everyone had something to eat and was happy. She gets a bad rap, but what a hard working, hospitable woman she was. She saw a need and she met it. Sure, she got overwhelmed and needed her sister's help, but don't we all get to that point! I can't imagine she liked the answer Jesus gave her very much.

When we cry out to God, the last thing we want to hear is that we are not getting our way! It at moments when we realize that he sees the bigger picture and knows what is best, that we grow! We see what we should be doing, not what we want to do.

I know that in the future I will have more workers. I know that as my children grow I will miss this stage where they need me so much! I will one day leave this constant Martha stage! ...Or will I?