As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister Mary sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that mys sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38:42
Which one are you? Are you Martha, consumed by your daily tasks, caught up in the busyness of your life, missing special moments because you are too distracted by what needs to be done? Or are you Mary, confident in the knowledge of what is important, taking time for it, and leaving the “to do” list items for a later time. I confess. I am definitely a Martha. But I am getting better. I was worse in my young adult years. Work always came first before play. As a child I would come home from school, go straight to my room and do my homework, before going outside to be with friends. Weird, right? I did it on my own, not because it was the rule.
As a parent, I think it is most important to listen to, engage with and surrender to the desires of your children when they seek your attention. Don’t be the parent who says, “I can’t right now, sweetheart. I have to clean the house. Then I will play with you.” You may have seen the old commercial where the parent yells out in obvious frustration, “Not now, Jimmy! I’m busy!”
It applies to your spouse and friends as well. What are you going to remember on your deathbed, how you kept the house spotlessly clean, or the times you spent with the people most important to you? Are you going to remember how you always served dinner on time or how much fun you had playing with your children? How you carved pumpkins with them at Halloween, made Easter eggs in the Spring, acted silly with them, camped out in the living room, ate dessert before dinner? What are the things you will look back on most fondly?
There are times my husband will say, “Come sit with me,” and I will call out from the kitchen, “I will as soon as I finish washing the dishes.” Dishes can wait. Memories need to be made here. People need your attention.
Jesus had it right. Get your priorities straight. Be remembered by your children as the parent who spent time with them, not the parent who was always too busy to do so. Be the friend who gives her most precious commodity, time. Not the one who keeps making excuses because you are just too busy. Don’t fool yourself into thinking they will always be there. They won’t.
Try to be more like Mary. It will ultimately make your life richer and more joyous. God bless.