Have a Mary Christmas in a Martha World

 

I want to have a Mary Christmas – not merry and not Mary, the momma of Jesus.  I want to have a Mary, sister of Martha, Christmas.

If you’re not familiar with this Mary, find her story in Luke 10:38-42.

Two sisters with two very different approaches to serving their Lord.  Martha bustles and Mary sits.  Martha works and Mary listens.  Martha worries much and Mary worries little.  Mary chose the better way.

I am a Martha.

I do and do until my doings distract me from worship.  My doings become the heart behind my service instead of the One who I do them for.

Holidays kick my Martha in to full gear.

My Martha spirit says I must recreate everything on my Christmas Pinterest board to insure my house looks like a veritable winter wonderland.  I feel the need to put up every Christmas decoration I own for fear of being a festive failure.

Not only do I want my first married Christmas to be significant and special, but I also have a compulsion to replicate the good memories from every Christmas past, which means a long list of things to do and recipes to make.

The Martha in me would work 24/7 to make all of those things happen.  In the process, she transforms traditions into to-do lists and tasks.

 

Part of me wants to stand up for Martha.  How would my home look festive and how would December feel like Christmas time if I didn’t work, work, work at doing it all?

But, wouldn’t December 25th come and go even if every nook and cranny of my house didn’t have some Christmas paraphernalia or if I didn’t decorate Christmas cookies or we didn’t have a big holiday hoopla?

When Martha strives to create a winter wonderland, Mary just sits in simple wonder at the feet of her Savior.

I want a Mary Christmas this year.