Martha/Mary Conflict

I have not been out of the house in two days.  My daughter Bella is sick with a wicked cough.  She gets this barking cough a few times a year and misses school.  It almost always coincides with something important, this times it is the father/daughter retreat in Chambersburg. I had to cancel....I know, bummer! When one of the kids gets sick, I feel bad for them and oh yeah I am FORCED to cancel any and all appointments; I MUST stay home, oh man.  I think ok, I'll  catch up on laundry, clean bathrooms, maybe some DVR in between taking care of a sickie kid.  You know throw together a sick bed, get some medicine in their system, monitor them, good to go, right?  Why?, Why?, Why? do these thoughts ever, ever enter my mind?  This NEVER happens, not even once, not ever.  The reality of the situation is more like this,  "okay honey are you okay for a few while I run upstairs and put laundry away?"  Bella says, "OHHHHHHHHHHH, COUGH, COUGH, COUGH, Mommy can you snuggle me?"  "Sure sweetie", I say.  I know at this point I am lost in snuggle land with my sick little Bella for the better part of the day watching an entire season of cupcake wars.  How do you justify saying no to your child to clean the house when they actually WANT to snuggle you, spend time with you, and they ADMIT that they NEED you.  I read somewhere that they outgrow this?  Oh right I was that kid!

I will be honest with you when I am housebound I see areas of the house that need cleaning attention and I feel a tug to give it priority because I am home and I think I should do it. When I feel this nagging I call it the Martha/Mary conflict and it always brings me back to a story in Luke chapter 10. It goes a little like this...(Straight out of the NIV bible) ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  To me this means do not sacrifice moments for busy work.  I take this to heart and try to remember this when I have guests at the house, my children ask for my time, or my husband wants to catch up at the end of the day.  I can get sidetracked, tired and this does not always happen, I am human after all.

Alright so my poor husband is on his way home from a long work week in NY and I already warned him I am stir crazy.  I told him we need some things at the grocery store, I may go workout at the gym.  I will NOT be waiting impatiently by the door, coat on, purse in hand, car warming up...hey babe, kissy, kissy, dinners on the stove, Bella's all ready to snuggle.  Love You.  No, never!

I should get out of my pajamas, yep I am still in my PJs.  You know you all do it too! :)  Back to Snuggling.


Mama Out!