Good morning…
“I resent all of this,” she softly says, as stressors in her life pile higher and heavier. “As my resentment builds, I get snippy. Impatient. Despairing. The Martha-in-me crawls out,” she explains, referring to the upset, demanding, worry-wart Martha we meet in Luke 10:38-42. “I do not want her to be in there, this horrible person.”
Our truth is exposed: She is in there. In her. In us. We wonder aloud, “What we might learn from her?” What if we did not push her aside, did not try to fix, pacify, or silence her? Instead, what if we bring our Martha into the presence of Jesus, just as she is? He sees her. He hears her. He knows her. He understands her. His love for her is endlessly deep, graciously wide.
“But I am trying to become a person who is not capable of doing these things,” my friend admits.
God’s truth expands: When the Martha-in-me rears her ugly head, there is a reason, there is a holy, good reason she shows up. We ponder together, “When we bring her to Jesus, what is his demeanor toward her?” Might his response be less condemning than our own? Invited into the presence of our Lord, we calmly sit with our Martha, just as Mary sits at the feet of Jesus, choosing the one necessary thing that will not be taken away.
“Why are you here?” we whisper to our Martha. What lessons in love is our Lord teaching right now?
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he came and set his people free. He set the power of salvation in the center of our lives (Luke 1:76, MSG).
…Sue…
P.S. Jesus’ unconditional love for our Martha-parts and our Mary-parts can be visually seen through yesterday’s video. Jesus scratches each annoying itch as his presence comes to life in many forms. Touch on the Previous link at the top of this post to experience “finger to fur” time with our living Lord.
