Amazing Sisters

I have just spent 24 hours with four of my sisters-in-law and a niece. They have a wonderful tradition that when one of them reaches a significant birthday, this year it was M's 60th, they surprise the "birthday girl" with a trip.

The tradition is for the four of them plan to the trip, the recipient knows nothing until the day of departure. She is then paraded through the airport wearing a hideous pink mask decorated with birthday candles and fur, and carrying an "over the hill bag". The final destination is revealed to her on the plane. I don't know the logistics that all of this entails. I only now it is always a success and a wonderful time is had by all.
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This year they selected a beach resort close to me and invited me to join them. I went for a day and night.

Each sister brought to mind the personalities and the dynamics at play in the scene with Mary and Martha Luke 10:38-41. Indeed each woman is a Mary or Martha. Some were in "charge" making decisions, some were willing to be directed. Some were cooking and cleaning, other's were content to watch the beauty of the sunset.

The wonder of my 24 hours was the love and respect each sister had for the other. They seemed to have comfortably accepted the strengths and weaknesses of one another. And why not, they have laughed together and cried together. They have gone through divorces, illnesses, deaths and much more. They instinctively know what the other one needs and who to send. Is it Mary who goes to comfort or is it Martha who is called upon to help with decisions. The Mary's in the family will pray fervently and instantly, and the Martha's will pray after they do the task required of them...

Here is the one thing I know of these Amazing Sister's when one of them is in pain, or troubled, or whatever the need maybe. They will cease being Martha"s, and go to her. They will sit at her feet, they will hold her hands, they will cry with her and for her and like Mary they too will have "chosen what is better". Thank God for Amazing Sisters.

Martha, Martha.

Luke 10:38-42 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." 41 But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her"

Luke 10:38-42

Wanted to review Luke's account of Mary, Martha and Jesus.

I wonder how many times a day I am called out by the Lord for being preoccupied with just the everyday tasks I believe more important then spending time with Him? Do I even hear His voice? And if I do, do I say in "a few minutes, or later, when I have more time". And does that time ever come? Do I even remember His calling me?

Being a Martha.

Why Mary, Martha and e? I have always been sympathic to Martha. And for the most part I am a Martha. Most of my friends are Martha. Martha was a 21st century woman who lived over two thousand years ago. She was an "IN CHARGE" kinda gal. I am sure if you wanted something done, you went to Martha.

Now I am not naive nor am I arrogant. I understand the message in the Mary and Martha story. We would all like to be a Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus and just inhaling his presence. But, the fact is into day's world it's seems impossible to be a Mary. And in comparing ourselves to Mary and trying to be like Mary, we set ourselves up for failure.

So how do we live as Martha yet sit at the feet of Jesus and inhale his presence?

Just as Julie Powell decided to cook her way through Julia Child's Mastering The Art of French Cooking, it is possible to live our lives as Martha and sit at the feet of Jesus..

It should be our daily recipe: Mastering The Art of Daily Sitting With Jesus.