Striving for More Mary, Less Martha

Martha and Mary

“Julie, you lost another retainer?” My mother went ballistic! I could hear the disappointment in her voice. She would have to schedule another appointment with the orthodontist, who was just as frustrated with me as my mom, even though he had made plenty of money because of my forgetfulness. I had lost a total of six retainers – mostly from wrapping them in napkins and then unintentionally discarding them. This was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Julie, you need to write things down so you don't forget them,” my parents pleaded. Thus, my fixation with making to-do lists was born. The only thing I enjoyed more than making a list was crossing things off. When I would lose my handwritten to-do list, the whole family would go into search mode. Years later, as a new mom, I was overjoyed when a friend introduced me to her Palm Pilot. It was a dream come true; digital and portable to-do lists were at my fingertips twenty-four hours a day. I could save my list electronically and make changes on the fly. There were now no limits to my efficiency. I discovered that if I wrote things down and systematically crossed them off my list, I could accomplish pretty much anything. With the passing of time came technological advancements, and these made life with a growing family and a home-based business so much more efficient for me. My lists resulted in numerous accomplishments that brought me a lot of recognition and a load of satisfaction.

I was “Martha” and very proud of it. In Chapter 10 of the Gospel of Luke in the Bible, two sisters, Mary and Martha, opened their home to Jesus as he traveled with His disciples. As Martha hurried frantically to ensure that her tasks were done and all of the preparations were perfect, Mary restfully sat at the feet of Jesus to soak in His wisdom. While Mary immersed herself in every precious moment with Jesus, Martha couldn’t think past her to-do list: set the table, clean the silver, iron the tablecloth, etc. Martha finally blows her stack and actually starts complaining to Jesus, “Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" Jesus replies, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Mary was also the one who came to Jesus with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume which she poured on His head as He was reclining at the table. This beautiful story is recorded in three places in the Bible: Matthew 26:7, Mark 14:3, and Luke 7:37. I love how Cece Winans captures this beautiful moment.

I always wanted to be Mary, but I just didn't think it was possible since my list fixation had molded me into a bona fide Martha. However, God knew that one day cancer and additional life events would awaken the Mary in me. I would seek and embrace His face each day, and I would finally understand the immense joy of resting at His feet.

If you want to understand the peace and joy in the Lord that I experience daily, please visit the Our Hope page.