Mary and Martha

Luke 10:38-42, tells the story of Mary and Martha. How many of us are guilty of being “Martha” in our lives?  I read this story recently and was immediately convicted, and not for the first time.  I am all too often a Martha.  I’m constantly distracted and preoccupied by the preparations of life.  There’s always something to be done, something to be taken care of, and something to accomplish.  It’s easy to lose focus among never-ending shopping lists, shopping trips, chores, tasks, errands and more.  My children are 2 and 4-years-old, and they have activities, and schedules, and need to eat…like every day!  It seems that if we try, we can preoccupy our entire days just thinking of the days ahead.  That’s not the life I want to live.

I’m not excusing myself from those responsibilities, I’m excusing myself from the pressure and position they hold in my life.  I am guilty of giving the pressures of this life too much of my time, focus, and attention.  Yet it still requires the conscious decision and effort to break that cycle.  A few years back, I decided that planning my quiet time with the Lord had to take precedence in my days.  It’s so easy as a mom to go straight to my “to-do” list as soon as my littles one’s sleepy little heads hit their pillows.  There is always something to be done, and the clock is always running, but I learned that I was able to maximize and increase my time just by increasing His presence in my life.  I am worth that time, He is worth that time.  Those few moments of quiet time that I get, whether it’s rising early before the little one’s rise or the first half-hour they’re napping, make such a huge impact on my day.

I don’t want to be a Martha, I want to be a Mary.  Don’t get me wrong, I respect Martha for her devotion to her responsibilities, and I AM most often a Martha despite my best efforts.  I want to be present and focused on the “few things, or only one” that really matter in this life.  I want to give my first and best attention to Christ and His desires for my life. I want to be the type of wife, and mother, that is always both present and available. I don’t want to be continuously preoccupied with the next item on the to-do list.  May we all find a way to focus on “the one thing that is needed” and find a way to lessen the pressures of this life. May you find time to sit at the feet of Jesus.

XOXO,

Kristy