Have Yourself a Martha Little Christmas

Have Yourself a Martha Little Christmas

Luke 10: 41-42 NKJV

41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 

42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

“Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Let your heart be light.
From now on, our troubles will be out of sight.”

Yeah, right! 

   I have heard stories about home decorating that became more work than was originally thought with light strings being hopelessly tangled and bulbs going out right after being hung.   

The plans for holiday dinners that would make Emeril Lagasse jealous. 

Shopping trips that lasted overnight and into the dawn.  Frantic searches for gifts that are “perfect.”

The mountains of gift wrap and ribbons and miles of tape. 

Trips to the post office - I was at the post office and helped a women bring in a stack of packages to mail.  (And thank you for letting me and my one package go first.) 

And for those traveling, the story only gets more complicated.  Packing the car and facing the heavy traffic or sitting in a crowded airport dreading the “Delay” sign that might pop up at the last minute.

Stop the madness!!!!

   Christmas can seem like a rat race at times.  It is easy to get lost in the busyness of Christmas and miss the things that are really important. 

   In the Gospel of Luke, we see someone getting frantic with preparations and finally snap and lash out from her anger and frustration.  Jesus went to visit the home of Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha.  Martha spends her time running around cooking, serving dinner, and cleaning.  People reading this often blame Martha for complaining too much.  But the things she was doing were all good things that really needed to be done.  And while she was running ragged, her sister Mary sits in the company of Jesus.  When Martha asks Jesus to tell her pitch in and get to work too, He tells her that, “”Mary has chosen what is better.”

   I believe this story is not here to attach blame to Martha for being too busy or praise Mary for choosing Jesus over routine housework.  I believe this story is here because we have so many Martha-type personalities in the world.  There are so many who work and work and work and miss out on important moments in life.  Growing up in church I saw this so many times - the women who came early and dusted and cleaned and the men who checked the furnace and straitened the chairs.  Then if there was a dinner afterwards, the work was even more frantic and often a handful of women missed service to prepare the meal.

   When it comes to Jesus, I say live in the moment.  Things need to be done but if you end up missing church to get the church ready for church then what’s the point?  I am grateful for those who bustle about doing the gritty little things that need to be done but don’t miss out on what God has for you by being too busy to hear His still, small voice.  

   And this Christmas, don’t be a holiday Martha and miss out on what’s right in front of you.  Don’t miss the opportunities that will come your way.  A real conversation with a family member you don’t see often, or seeing the way your child’s face lights up because Santa did, indeed, get that letter and delivered exactly what they asked for.  It is not about all that we have to do and the list of things we have to check off, it’s all about the living in the moment and not missing Christmas preparing for Christmas.  It’s about remembering Christ’s birth and the reason He came to be born here. 

   This year, don’t miss out on what is better.  Take the opportunity to enjoy the time you have with friends and family and remember to put the little Christ Child back into your Christmas.  Worry about the things you have to do, but let go of the rest.  Enjoy the people you spend the time with, because that is what is better, and have yourself a “Mary” little Christmas.

Stephen Cram                            December 16, 2012                        Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8