Mary, Martha, Molly of just me??

silly sisters

In the story of Mary and Martha I have always sympathized with Martha.  She's a good woman, doing what women do. Serving. Maybe Mary loved Jesus more and that's why she rushed to sit at His feet, unable to allow herself to be away from Him when the opportunity came.  Or maybe she was prettier, and Martha wanting to show her love did it the only way she knew how..by serving; preparing a meal, sweeping the hearth.
While I know, and have every confidence that the Savior loves each of us with an infinite love and that He looks on the heart not the countanance we don't all have an equal capacity to receive that love.  So Mary trusted, perhaps a bit more, that she was of worth and we are taught that she chose the better part.
The practical application of the better part is sometimes difficult. Yesterday was a busy day for me.  I had a lot of things planned, things that were good, serving others things.  I woke up looking forward to my duties.

Mornings are always the same, 5:30 alarm, children in and out of the showers, needing shirts ironed, "oops I forgot" papers sign, back packs looked through one more time, lunch made, rides given, dogs cared for, teeth brushed...
Then I headed out the door to do a ward orientation. I always look forward to these, they are so sweet and lots of fun.  Just as I was walking out the door I got an emergency phone call from a friend, who was in despair, and didn't know if life was worth it.  We talked for a few minutes and I promised to come visit that very evening.  While I drove (an hour) to my meeting, I considered which of the good things, the serving others already things, I had on my schedule I was going to rearrange so I could now do a different good thing.  I called Rob and asked him if he could please get home "early" read: before 6pm, and drive Ethan and Grace to swim clinic.  He agreed.  This man of mine is a worker and we have to request his presence if it's daylight hours so I was happy that he could do this.

Orientation went well.

Came home and made a pie then started the picking up of children.  Today we added piano lessons for Hannah to our routine.  She has been asking to take again for about a year, and promised to practice and has been working on praciticeng on her own, which is a good sign.
By 4 we were all home, children were doing homework and I was making dinner for us and for the Wiests who had a new baby.  I talked to the kids about the altered evening schedule and that I was going to be out and that they needed to be ready to go when dad came to get them.  I have really good children.  The girls helped with another pie and Ethan showed great concern about my evenings visit. Grace even agreed to wear the less desirable pair of goggles with out complaint (this I found out later) because the good ones were in my car and my car was gone.

By 5 I was out the door and off to deliver dinner.  I got to hold baby Petra and hear about the birth, and the adjustment to having two little ones, and the itchy rash (there is always something for us moms!) and it was a delight.  I really like this little family, they are faithful and bright and cute. After that I went to my friend.  I thought a lot about our Sunday School lesson from last week and how to offer comfort as I drove.  Job's friends sat with him for a whole week, without saying anything.  They were just there.  I thought I would try that approach since I don't ever know what to say anyway, there isn't usually anything too helpful to say.  So I sat and I listened and I hugged.  Helped? Probably not but I showed up.  Interestingly both my new mom friend, and my struggling with life friend said to me "I know so many people have it worse than I do", and it occurred to me, and I said to each of them; yes, there is always someone who is suffering something harder, or that we would think of as worse and while it's great to count our blessings especially in times of trial, and we should, and that helps; it's also okay to recognize that at the same time the struggle we are having is real, and worth consideration, and hard.  A friend saying "that's really hard, and I'm really sorry" is a gift.  Life is hard.  Wonderful and worth it but terribly hard at the same time. This validation is a precious thing.

Well, the day ended as all days do.  I did some good things, some Mary things.  Also did some Martha things, still cleaned the kitchen, twice.  Still changed the sheets because the dog threw up on them.  Still....

So I am not really Martha, as you can find dust in my corners and laundry in my baskets, and I am definitely not Mary.  I am not Molly (Mormon) that darn pinterest is the death of me and my heels aren't high and my hairs a mess.  I am just me.  If I was talking to someone else I'd say, and I'd believe,  "that's all you have to be! you're great! Keep plugging along, improving, doing your best!"  To myself I say "you are called to do better, to be better...keep going....I think I can, I think I can!!"  Or on a not so kind day I say "this is why you will never make it to the celestial kingdom".

farm day