Mary or Martha who will you be?

This morning we learned about sitting at the feet of Jesus.We all know the story of Mary and Martha .Jesus came to the home of a woman named Martha.While Martha probably prepared a gourmet meal that would make Rachel Ray proud, she set the table with her finest dishes,all color coordinated,with matching napkins and such. She probably went out and picked some flowers for an outstanding centerpiece to give her table pizazz.

Then she spent the next hour or so cleaning ,fluffing,making a homemade pie from the berries she just picked an hour ago, that she walked 5 miles to find.All the while she was probably huffing and puffing and grumbling because in the other room was her lazy(or so she thought) sister Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus doing absolutely nothing.

If your like me, one who is capable of multi tasking on top of multi tasking,I think some days Martha Stewart would be proud to have me as a daughter or at least on her employee list.The following people tend to get on our creative ,multitasking nerves,they are the ones who sit while we are cleaning up or running ministries.While they get to enjoy just showing up,then when its over they pick up their coat and leave.
The ones who get to enjoy conversations with others while those like me.... get to spend the next 2 hours cleaning up,washing dishes,all the while we are grumbling,complaining and thinking not so heavenly thoughts.

When people like myself actually sit still for a minute, well lets say half a minute, theres too much to do, and think about it,why are we not the ones sitting down? Why are we not the ones ,enjoying ourselves like them?Picking up our coats and just leaving?

Partly because some of us do enjoy making things nice, being creative,its just our nature to help when there is a need.The problem starts when we start to grumble and complain,thats usually a good indicator we need to slow down.We also need to realize that we can't expect everyone to be a Martha, some are Mary's and some have other names.Look in a name your baby book.there are more names than those two.

It is also because we are taught in todays world to be the Martha. Martha Stewart most likely makes billions a year teaching us how to do it all. If you happen to be a Mary, you are considered lazy ,you are not accomplishing anything.We need to be busy busy busy every second of the day.

But what are we left with after all the running? We are worn out, miserable, lazy people hating, multi tasking women.Talk to any husband or child of a Martha and I think they would rather have a Mary.Is Martha Stewart still married? If you don't know the answer its a No.Get my point?

I'm sure Mary was probably in a better mood.I bet she didn't tell her children hurry up while they were trying to tell her a story. When Jesus spoke to Mary her eyes were focused on him,listening to him like a child hearing a story for the first time. I bet he didn't have to follow her room to room as she straighted up,grumbled,and maybe threw him an annoyed glance every few minutes.She sat at his feet.She had chosen what was better.

We need to chose what is better. You will be a lot better off if you chose to just sit.He can't speak to you when you are not listening.We all need rest,its essential to our health,mental.physical and spiritual.So who are you going to be today? Mary, who will be remembered by Jesus as the one who loved him so,sat at his feet, and hung on his every word.Or Martha the one who could bake an extraordinary pie, scrub a kitchen floor spotless ,the woman who didn't hear a thing he spoke of, and never gave him the time of day?We have a choice, who will you listen to? The world? Or Jesus?

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 who was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.
She came to Jesus and said"Lord,don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work?Tell her to help me!"
Martha,Martha, the Lord said,you are worried and upset about many things,but only one things is needed.
Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.Luke 10:38-42

Blessings Dee