“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “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 away from her.” Luke 10:41 (NIV)
I am an unapologetic neat freak, so messes really bother me. When I worked from home, every morning after the kids went to school I would take the first half hour to do a clean sweep on the house. I would quickly take care of one room at a time – hanging up a stray towel, straightening up a bed, bringing dishes to the kitchen, etc. I needed everything to be perfectly in order before I could start my workday.
Usually everyone pitches in after dinner to make sure everything’s where it should be so that the morning runs smoothly, but that does not always happen. The other night I ended up watching a movie while my little one fell asleep on my lap, which I just love. As I carried her upstairs, I noticed that all our plates were out from dinner, a 2-liter of Orange soda was on the table, and Princess and I had gotten Teddy Grahams all over the couch. Sigh.
Princess was muttering “sleepy… crib…” as I tucked her in. I then looked in on my other two and was filled with just a peaceful moment of happiness and pure love. I looked at the towels on the floor, Legos scattered throughout the loft, clothes on the bathroom floor, my work on the bed, and just random chaos throughout all the bedrooms.
As I surveyed the mess that can be made in just one lazy evening, I decided to just let it go. I chose to stay in my moment of love for my children, and to just bask in the knowledge that God had given me three beautiful children. Cleaning would wait another day. This was a Martha/Mary moment, and for once I was going to be Mary. I went to bed thanking God for the life he gave me and all the chaos creators in it.
From the Heart
Lord, help me to see beyond the occasional mess to what is truly important.
Make a Start
Spend time in God’s Word and have a few moments of peace before taking on anything else today.
Heather Paquette 
Bravo. Sometimes you just have to… and it’s ok.
Thanks Debbie! I will say, it’s a rare event. I am very, very Martha most of the time. 🙂