Blessed are the Balanced

Well, the Mary/Martha Saga comes to an end! The journey started the first week in January when I began my ‘dream’ of writing and entered the ‘blogosphere’!

I have been challenged, encouraged, and hopefully, changed by my studies and readings from Mary’s and Martha’s two encounters with Jesus in Luke 10 and John 11. I have thoroughly enjoyed the writing process and trust that the lessons from God’s Word have challenged, encouraged, and changed my readers as well!

My goal was to use my thoughts, examples, stories, and personal style to make the Mary/Martha Saga come alive and become less of a struggle in your lives, as it has been in mine. There was a time when I would describe myself as a “Mary who felt guilty for not being a Martha.” That was precisely why Joanna Weaver’s book, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World grabbed my attention the day I bought it. In one of my grad school counseling classes I did a self-counseling project on this very issue. Matter of fact, part of the thoughts and material used in this series stemmed from that project. It had definitely been a struggle in my life.

Yes, I am still a Mary~yet, I don’t need to feel guilty about NOT being a Martha. However, I have learned that there are lessons from the Martha side I should incorporate into my Mary life. As I mentioned in “Comfort Zone”, doing Martha things doesn’t have to be fancy and complicated. Just looking for ways to do things as a grandma would ~with a little love and grace~is all one needs to worry about. That was probably the biggest eye-opener and encouragement for me! It is a challenge, but I continue to try to add a little Marthaness in my ministry opportunities. (And, I trust the Marthas out there are trying to incorporate a little Mary devotion into their ministry opportunities).

“Comrades in Arms” is probably one of my favorite segments from this series. I see it as a real-life/today example of Marys and Marthas working together for the cause of Christ. It takes both!

In conclusion, I hope we continue to keep in the forefront of our hearts and minds what seems to have become the theme verse of this series:

Colossians 3:23: “…Whatever your hand finds to do, do it heartily as unto the Lord, and not unto man.”

          Whether a Martha or a Mary be---

                    Do what YOU do for HIS glory!

I close with these words from Commentator Warren Wiersbe. (Taken from “Be Compassionate-a Study of Luke 1-13; specifically the section on Luke 10:38-42)

“BLESSED ARE THE BALANCED”

Yes, ladies~~Blessed are the balanced!

Debbie

I am thinking a study of Colossians 3 is coming next. Be ready to change your ‘wardrobe’!