ToLiveLoved: ~The Main Thing~

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

~The Main Thing~

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

~The Main Thing~

My faded, black yoga pants have spit up on the left leg. The kitchen table where I sit is nearly covered with bills I was just paying, a clipboard with Reese's artwork, cd's I've been burning, and my hot Eight O'Clock coffee.

I went to bed last night a little defeated and perplexed. I had worked hard. All day. I can't say that every day but yesterday, it was the case. Lunches were packed, a shower was had, groceries were bought, laundry was cleaned, folded, and put away for hours. Kitchen was cleaned more than once, den was vacuumed, homework was done, baby was fed, held, rocked, and loved on, kids were retrieved from the neighbors, pants were delivered to the cleaners as promised, and dinner was made and served. Oh, and three games of Trouble were played. (Which was the best part of the day, but it took an hour. Nobody could roll a 6!)

Guess what? All that and at 10:00 last night, I looked around and saw countless things still undone. The table didn't get fully cleared and the dishes didn't get completely done. I still have a suitcase on my bedroom floor full of clothes from a weekend trip. I could go on but I would rather get on with the good part of this story.

As I fell in bed, my mind was flooded with not so happy thoughts like:

Why can't I get it all done?
I should be able to get it all done. Proverbs 31 says so.
What am I doing wrong?
I must be missing some fundamental in Wife/Mom 101.
Why can't I measure up?
Does everyone else feel like there is more work than time or am I the only one doomed to failure?
Why don't I stay up til midnight doing housework like some other amazing women I know?

I woke up, determined to press on, attack my kitchen, pray for strength and encouragement, and not be beaten by yesterday's frustrations. I woke up a little before 6, fed my hungry baby, loaded the dishwasher, made eggs for the kids, and dressed one very sleepy six year old.

I went to the bathroom and there I heard a divine, gentle whisper. "Remember Mary and Martha? Read it again."
Oh the grace that He gives me. The sweet mercy of meeting me at my point of need, no matter how silly or insignificant that need may seem.

"She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.....
'Martha, Martha, 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)

You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.
Such a gentle correction. I don't think Jesus was mad that she was upset and worried.
Martha was doing things that "had to be done"! Legitimate preparations. Things that were expected of her. Things that were in her job description. But had they all gone undone, it would have been okay. Better, even.

Only one thing is needed.
I don't want to miss the boat on doing that ONE thing.
Every thing else is cream. Not critical. Not necessary.
I am perfect IN Him but not in my humanness. I DON'T measure up in my own strength. Not supposed to. That's what makes being redeemed so sweet.

So as I sit here with my Bible on my lap, I'm not so worried about the three little juice cups surrounded by crumbs that still sit on the bar from breakfast. I'm not upset by the box of saltine crackers or the unpacked lunch box from yesterday that are still on the counter. The fact that both my washer and dryer have clothes in them, despite my valiant effort yesterday, isn't so important. I'll get all those things done because I want to. But I wouldn't trade the love and encouragement I received this morning for a clean kitchen or done laundry. Ever. I'll be perfect one day, but until then I would do well to love God and love others. (The only eternal investment I have.)

After all, the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.