About Me

 

At the Home of Martha and Mary

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 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!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Welcome. This bit is supposed to be about me. So, I have a longstanding husband, known in the blog as Head of House (HOH) as I am a stickler for him being in charge here - usually, if I don't fancy it. 

We have two children - neither of whom live here anymore but both of whom are a bit miffed that we sold their childhood home and downsized to an apartment as soon as they left. This did not stop either of them from moving back for a few months when circumstances demanded. They are referred to as Fruit of Womb (FOW) 1 and 2. This is because it's my womb that bore the brunt of producing them as it were; their father famously falling asleep during one of my labours with his head on the hospital bed. I suppose it was dragging on a bit.

The other significant family member is my mother - Aged Parent. This is very complicated. My mother is very complicated. We have an interesting relationship influenced as it is by what may well be an undiagnosed mental illness (hers not mine) and an old school mentality that held that boys are always better than girls. This meant that I was very much second in the pecking order to my brother while he was alive but now it is me and my Mum circling each other like gladiators and making it work as best we can with lots of patient help from Head of House. Dementia (hers not mine) is now adding even more facets to the gaiety of family life.

My name is not Martha - it is Lesley but I have long felt an affinity with the Biblical Martha who found herself in the kitchen slamming the kitchen cupboards - probably looking uncertainly at the expiry date on a tin of sardines when all the interesting things were going on in the front room with Jesus.

This is obviously a truth worthy of all acceptation but, in the manner of a three-point sermon can I point out...

1. When Jesus says Mary has chosen better - I think it is an acknowledgement that, in the end, someone will have to make the dinner and indeed wash up afterwards.

2. I think the phrase "Martha, Martha" is said in a very calming voice and suggests that Jesus was used to Martha going off on one and knew how to deal with it - with affection and love.

3. "You are worried and upset about many things". This is a phrase I am thinking of getting cross-stitched into a sampler for the bathroom. This is what Jesus said to Martha suggesting that he knew her, as Cliff Richard used to sing "better than I know myself" and still loved the living daylights out of her. 

This is the sort of low-level, shallow Christian thinking you can expect here. Welcome.