In one of my favorite Bible stories, Jesus visits the home of two sisters, Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42).  Martha makes sure the house is clean and the food is cooked.  She is annoyed when Mary hangs out with the guests, listening to Jesus instead of helping with the chores. When asked to chide Mary for leaving her sister with all the work, Jesus replied that Mary had chosen the better part. 

This is a controversial passage; no one is comfortable with a hardworking hostess sweating over the stove while her lazy little sibling gets off with praise.  In my view, the story illustrates the perpetual life-balancing tension between doing and being, work and play, tasks and relationships.

I am by temperament and habit aligned with Mary.  My life skills and comfort zone lie on the other side of a great divide from domestic productivity.  I am, therefore, relieved by Jesus' take on the situation.  I would much rather listen to Him than prepare appetizers in the other room.  It is tempting to feel justified in doing so and to leave it at that.  On the other hand, my own life is often out of balance in the other direction. 

I want to spend more time with Martha, paying attention to practical concerns. If I don't change the oil, the engine will struggle and eventually fail. If I don't prepare healthy meals, fast food will add pounds and clog arteries before I know it.  If I don't weed and prune, the vacuum nature is known to abhor will fill and overflow.  I want to develop new skills where there are gaps.  I want to get on top of the basics. 

On the other hand, Martha's work never ends and getting on top of house and yard work doesn't mean staying on top of it.  I therefore cut some corners and give Mary her turn.  It is OK to meet friends at a café instead of having them over for homemade.  It is OK to revisit the frequency of laundry, dusting, and mopping.  It is OK to ask whether Grandma's standards need apply to me now.

As I reflected on Martha and Mary this week, I found a poem on Facebook: Dust if You Must by Rose Milligan.  It begins, "Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better to paint a picture or write a letter?" Milligan's poem reinforced my desire to write about this stumbling block on the path to a balanced life. In honor of Martha, I spent an hour this morning weeding, and only then allowed Mary the time to write.

Are you more of a Mary or a Martha at heart?  What small steps could you take to strengthen your other side?  What do you think would happen if you did?