Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Finding the Better Part

It's Monday and for the first time in more than 37 years, I'm not headed out the door to face the challenges of a corporate work day. If fact, I have just returned from a wonderful, exciting, fun-filled weekend with over 6000 friends and business partners who are either doing what I'm doing this morning or working their way to doing what I'm doing......working from home, being my own boss, setting my own schedule and running my own business! As I begin my day and I find myself searching for that "quiet time" to read scriptures, to meditate and find that something.......that quiet voice to feed and nurture my soul and spirit, I pick up one of my favorite books, "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" by Joanna Weaver. This book has helped me through some rough spots during the last few years of being a "Martha" as I tried to juggle the stress and tension of a hectic, time-consuming work schedule, build a future home based business and make time for home and family. The order in which I list these activities are sadly, the order in which they have dominated my life; being a Martha and longing for the chance to just be a Mary sometimes.

In the story found in Luke 10:38-42, Jesus and his disciples came to town and a woman named Martha opened her home to them. Her sister Mary sat at Jesus' feet listening to what He had to say instead of busying herself in the kitchen with Martha. Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made and got ticked at her sister for not helping, so she went to Jesus and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" Jesus politely said "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 from her." 
For so many years, I have reflected Martha in my day to day life with long, stress- filled work days. 
January 2014 is the beginning of a new segment in my life. I am still a Martha, but my time is my own and Mary will be more visible as I schedule each day on my new journey, seeking the better part in each of them. 

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