Mary or Martha...

Martha and Mary

I should have been a Martha, but I want to be more like Mary. There is a story of two sisters in Luke. To paraphrase, it goes like this. Jesus and his disciples went to the two sisters' home. Martha rushed about making preparations, cooking, etc. Mary sat at Jesus' feet, worshiped, and listened. Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I am the Martha in this story, but ironically my name is Mary. I would, and always am, making preparations, cooking, cleaning, and attending to anyone's needs when we have any function that I am involved in. When our sons and families visit, I plan and prepare a meal for them, ensuring everyone has something they enjoy, cooking, cleaning, and attending to them during their visit. Rightly so, since I am the "Mom". Even when our grandson is here, which is quite often, I am attending to his needs. His favorite phrase, and everyone knows it, is "Moppy, I'm hungry!" He is hungry a lot. We laugh, but I always try to ensure I have what he likes.

Why is this story so important? I think the meaning of this story is to relay the importance of what is in front of us and instead of being distracted, remember to listen and rest in Him. One author I read talked about this story and the importance of prayer in our lives. Christians are busy serving in so many ways, that we fail to remember the importance of simple prayer and worship. We fail to realize that preparations (service) are only a part of what we are called to do. We are called to listen. The Lord wants a relationship with us. He wants us to come to Him, listen to His words, sit at His feet, and just be. "Be still and know that I am God.", Psalms 46:10. Mary realized the importance of recognizing who Jesus was (is). She recognized the importance of listening to His word, being in His presence, and the servitude in this. Don't get me wrong, Martha was a servant. She wanted to serve God, but there are moments when the rush to service gets between the server and the one we are serving. Are you Mary or Martha? I do want to be Mary.