Being Martha

I'm a Martha. Christ goes to her home and she keeps working in the kitchen to get the meal ready. (I wonder if she's worked all day to have everything just so when her guest arrives. And perhaps, she needs just a few more minutes or a few more hands to help...)

Her sister, Mary, drops everything and kneels at Christ's feet, washes them and annoints them.

And then Martha is bugged. And even complains to Christ that Mary has stopped helping and left her to work by herself. And then he (gently?) tells her Mary has chosen better.

I'm a Martha. But I'm working on it. Because most of the time what I'm working on isn't that important. I realize that. Like doing the dishes. Or finishing work on the computer. Those things can wait. And I can pause to give my husband a hug when he walks in the door. (Why is it sooo hard to pause?!...)

I do like to get stuff done. And I'm scatterbrained enough that if I get distracted, it's hard to get back on track. So I like to stay on track.

Yesterday in Diane's scripture class she was teaching about Lazarus. And Mary and Martha. And she casually mentioned, "Martha sometimes gets a bad rap. But I think they're both great. We need Mary's and we need Martha's."

Thank you. We do need us Martha's who make sure things get done. I'm good at organizing and doing what needs to be done. And I'm happy to do it.

But then there are the Mary's. Who don't hesitate to drop everything and run to the aid of a friend. Who know how to comfort and say just the right thing. I love my friends who are Mary's. I need them. I admire those that always know just what to say.

But it was good to be validated that being Martha isn't such a bad thing.

We need both of them.

--Originally written in 2014. I found this in my Draft folder. Along with seven other posts over the last 10 years I started writing but for some reason or other didn't finish.