You know Martha, right?:
38 ¶ Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Martha: Bad. Mary: Good. Martha: NECESSARY! Right?
So today we had a fab lesson on loving God--now, lest ye start snoring--let me tell you Sister Majeroni's lessons are NEVER snore-worthy and pay attention--the Martha connection will become clear. Today she led a spirited and fun discussion on what we are suppose to be doing in the love department: loving God and loving our neighbors as well as how to accomplish that. I loved her hand-out that had a chocolate heart in the center of a circle that reminded us to center ourselves on love: "Love is the great commandment. Make it the center of all you do." I love that (ok, way too many uses of the word love in that paragraph...) I love that because I believe that Jesus Christ is the center of all we do and He is Love.
I really appreciated (see: not just loved) the advice that others gave about how we show our love to God. Rachel Nielson (one of my s-heroes) spoke about a talk Elder Wirthlin gave where he said that when we love someone we want to spend time with them--do we want to spend time with God? Do I spend time with God? Hmmm....the Martha in me was rumbling. I bake cake and cookies and casseroles and salad for God (yes, I feed his sheep well.) I go to church to learn about God. I get on my knees and talk to God--oh, good, that is spending time with God, right? I suppose it is if my prayers are getting out of the room because they heartfelt and real. Sometimes, not so much.
As I think about these, I realize that my Martha tendencies do keep me from being with God sometimes. I could pray a little more and Facebook a little less...scripture read and meditate rather than nap... However, if we are making love the center of all that we do, we are actually taking part in that better part--if we do it in the right spirit. As I lovingly prepare a meal for my family, lovingly seeking to make it an enjoyable and nutritious experience, I am communing with God. And I can do better, even as I am Martha-ing away at it by inviting the Spirit to attend me. I need to invite Him to be with me. To help me. To guide my hands and heart. (Especially when the kids HATE the nutritious meal I made and tell me so...)
My husband is a truly God-fearing man--and he tells me frequently that he tries to find God in ALL that he does--even the laundry and the dishes. And I know he does. Hmmm...how very Mary in a Martha-way. This is something we Marthas need to take to heart. God is with us when seek Him and invite His Spirit. So, we need to ask him if the soup needs more salt, the table some flowers, or maybe if Child Number 1 might need to have a little extra tlc during dinner. We need to ask if the next visiting teaching appointment can wait a few minutes so the sister I am currently visiting can tell just one more story. Or maybe if the dishes really need to be done right now, if my baby needs one more snuggle and a family prayer.
In our "cumbering about" I also need to ask: Should I cumber, or sit and listen? And when I receive a "sit and listen," I need to SIT and LISTEN. However, maybe it is okay, and I need to finish the soup and then sit...
So, my cute handout from Sister Majeroni is on my bulletin board (minus the chocolate of course, I'm a Martha, not crazy.) I'm going to be a Mary a bit this week, I hope: I going to choose the better part more often. But when I'm Martha-ing, I'm gonna do it with love. And I'm going to invite God into my daily existence and humdrum chores even more. Because I do love Him--and I want to spend more time with someone who gave me so much and loves me with such abundance. Maybe then my Martha will be a Mary who multi-tasks. How about you?
6 comments:
Alaska! I just found your blog and I love it! I love the re-cap of the RS lesson. I feel like I "Martha" in Primary. I can't remember the last time I've felt "spiritually fed" at church because I'm focused on keeping my kids quiet, or which class needs a substitute. I was so glad to read this and be reminded to STOP and LISTEN at church, and in all things. I can't tell you how often Ella asks me to do something with/ for her and my answer is, "Not right now, I have to fold the laundry/clean the kitchen/etc". Shameful. Thanks for the kick in the pants! It's just what I needed!
From my friend Amy: I can't post comments to your blog so feel free to post this on your blog so others can read it too. I was so touched about what you blogged and how much I agree. There is one thing you should now though (from my point of view of course) Whenever I hear that story or read it I always seemed to think to myself that Martha was not bad. Even when Geoffrey asked me about the reference (he was not aware of the story) I explained (before finishing reading your blog) that Martha was NOT bad. This is important. God just said she chose the better part right? There was importance in what she did but the way I always "heard" it was the reason Mary chose the better part is because of where Martha's heart was.
Remember the Yard conversation? When your neighbor got mad at me and I wrote her a letter? I wrote int hat letter something similar to what I am about to say here...
In my mind Martha's heart wasn't in "as right" a place as Marys because it was about appearances. She was worried about how things were to others... the place had to be perfect for Jesus. He deserved it, right? He is JESUS! But what she was failing to miss was that Mary ignored it, ignored the mess, the toys laying around, the dirty dishes, the flowers on the table and was all about being THERE fully, giving him her full attention because that is what mattered most.
Think about the littlest angel for a minute. Remember my favorite Christmas story? There was nothing wrong with all the other gifts that were given but the littlest angel's was the "best" because his heart was FULLY in the right place.
Everything I see you do for your friends and family is with love. I think you are more a Mary than you know. We all have our Martha moments but don't think Martha is "bad" because she wasn't AS good as Mary.
Forget the frills, forget what others think (like the rude people at school?) forget about the loud or inappropriate remarks (or sounds) during FHE... Worry about them later. Remember what's most important. I loved being with you for FHE, at the parties you have thrown or helped with... and goodness knows it does NOT always go as planned (remember the SPAGHETTI!!!) but enjoy it anyway without stressing it.
Right now... This is what it's all about.
...oh
...and regardless of what you think...
...you have been the best example to me since I left Missouri.
You are amazing. Not just saying that. You know me, I am brutally honest when need be.
You're on the right path.
"It's not about how the yard looks, it's how LIVED IN it is" -letter to your neighbor
Don't feel so bad about being a Martha! I've heard talks from important people (i.e. General Authorities) saying that the Savior didn't rebuke Martha until she judged Mary--the point being that we shouldn't judge each others' service. We all serve in different ways, and we shouldn't judge how someone else serves, worships, does their calling, etc.
Oh, here, I just found it. It's from a BYU fireside by Dallin H. Oaks. He's quoting someone else, but here's what it says:
"But the rebuke would not have come had Martha not prompted it. The Lord did not go into the kitchen and tell Martha to stop cooking and come listen. Apparently, He was content to let her serve Him however she cared to, until she judged another person's service....Martha's self-importance, expressed through her judgment of her sister, occasioned the Lord's rebuke, not her busyness with the meal."
Still, your post is definitely a good reminder to try to focus more on what ultimately really matters.
Thanks for the insights. I think that there is a LOT of stuff buried in those short passages. And since it is one of the few we have about the women that were so important to Christ, I think it is fun to talk about 'em. I think Erica brought up another point about us Marthas: we need to thank one another a little more. Thanks to Erica's martha-ing, I get to attend church meetings without my little darlings. We all need a little martha in our lives and I hope someone is providing some of that for you Erica! If not, I'm a pretty crappy friend and owe you big time! And as I watch your girls, I know that they receive a good amount of Mary in their lives as well.
parkfamdr@msn.comI hope you don't mind me sharing this with David! You said EXACTLY how I feel a lot of the time!!
Richaile
Just found your blog! I hope you see this comment because I noticed you haven't updated this blog in many months--you must be a mother of four! :)
You are the most loving person I have ever met in my entire life. Not exaggerating. You are the best balance of a Mary and Martha I have ever known!
We miss Buffalo so much. Are you moving to Pocatello or what?
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