Don't forget Mary & Martha especially at Christmas time!

     We have 11 days until Christmas.  Are you ready?  Is everything checked off your to-do list?  As the birth of Christ draws near, I find myself rushing here and rushing there.  At times, I can't even remember what I was last doing.  Thankfully, I get up and spend a few minutes in quiet before everyone else in my family.
      It is then, that my thoughts turn to Mary and Martha from the bible.   I'm not sure if your familiar with them; but they were pretty close with Jesus.  One afternoon, He came to spend some time at their home.  Based on the text, it doesn't seem like either Mary or Martha knew he was coming.  Mary seemed pretty laid back about it all.   Martha, on the other hand, is someone I can relate to.  She was rushing here and rushing there to get the meal ready. She had finally had enough and said to Jesus, "won't you tell her to help me out, already!?!  (I'm paraphrasing here.)  
        Recently, I came across a commentary by Joyce Meyer regarding this scenario.  It was her observation that Jesus' words, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary," show us that Martha was too busy for intimacy and was choosing work instead.  Ugh, that hit me right where it hurts.  I now have to continually stop and ask myself, "am I choosing too much work over the important relationship(s) in my life?"  I mean, I know there is work to be done; but won't there always be something else to-do on the list?   This Christmas season with only 11 days to go, I'm going to take some time be more like Mary, in a very Martha oriented world.