Defining Names

I think I should change my name to Martha.  Maybe after reading this post you'll identify with that statement.

 

We live in a Martha world.  A world where women feel they should always be in constant motion - like we are fish who don't dare quit swimming all around.  There's a fear that if we stop for a mere second we could perish in some way or another.

 

Martha - constantly working...cooking, cleaning, laundering, making everything from a Pinterest Board, volunteering to do it all, going to every meeting (even the optional ones).

 

Martha - not taking time to stop, sit, and just be.

 

Why not, Martha?  Is it because when she tries to yet her to do list taunts her brain?

 

Why not, Martha?  Is it because she is afraid she'll fall behind?

 

Why not, Martha?  Is it because someone in this world frowns on her stopping just for a random moment to smell the roses before they are gone?

 

Why not, Martha?  Is it all of the above wrapped into one big fat ball that bounces against her?

 

Credit for photo

 

So you may be asking who the crap is this Martha and woe be to her.  Well Martha comes to us from the book of Luke (10:38-42).  The extremely brief story is of Jesus coming to visit Martha and her sister Mary randomly one day.  It was also the center of this past Sunday's sermon at the church we attend.  It was a story and a sermon that was apparently and unknowingly picked for me to hear this day.  This beautiful Sunday when I spent the morning cooking breakfasts, doing dishes, cleaning the kitchen, stripping a peed in bed, and making my mental to do list. 

 

 

See, I was being Martha.  Martha fulfilled the woman's role (of Biblical times and sadly enough current times) of busying herself with household chores.  She was meal making, cleaning, laundering, and being a domestic engineer in all things to sustain life and cleanliness back in the day.  Since she had a pretty special guest (this dude named Jesus) suddenly at her door she was put in high gear to be the hostess with the mostess.  She was in the kitchen making a stunning meal, tidying up, probably breaking a sweat and not doing what she should have been doing.  Her sister, Mary, was doing the right thing - putting aside the chores and tasks and not losing her cool over having a surprise visitor.  Mary was sitting with Jesus and listening and learning and living in the miraculous moment of having Jesus Christ at her side putting peace in her heart and rest in her mind.  Mary took full advantage of the moment.  Martha worked herself into a tizzy and asked for Jesus to call her sister out but He didn't He praised Mary but never condemned Martha.

 

Martha was doing what she was taught was right - she was being a Proverbs 31 woman - not being  one tiny ounce idle.  But she was also missing out on the chance to calm herself and visit with her special visitor. 

 

This blog post isn't to tell you that I, or we, should abandon our daily jobs.  This post is to remind myself and you, my sweet reader, that we can set the to do list to the side.  We can push away from our desks for a bit of time and reflect away from the task at hand to take in the moment and find some peace.  The need to just be is a true need for the human body.  We need to release the burdens of our every day and take deep breaths and notice the world around us - the beautiful world around us.  This need is so strong that if we fail to do it we may find ourselves in dark places that produce tears of hurt, sadness, and stress.  No life is meant to experience that - we are meant to experience this life as the remarkable gift it is.

 

Martha wasn't doing that folks.  Martha was busying herself and missing out. 

 

Photo credit

 

So if you identify as a Martha now then maybe you can join me in a challenge to put aside the chaos for thirty minutes each day to reconnect with everything that is unplugged and recharge with things that need no electricity.  Just sit down and stop what you are doing and take in this short life.  Just silently listen to what is on our hearts.  I bet it will calm our busy, list making, minds.