"Having a Mary Heart..."

I have been attending the PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) on post for about a month now. The book we are covering is Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver. I've known for quite some time that I tend to fill my plate with too many obligations. I'm the one who raises her hand if no one else does. You know the gal in college who had to have assignments and papers finished a day early...yep that was me too.

This book follows the New Testament story of Mary and Martha who have Jesus into their home. While Martha is rushing around preparing and keeping up with the needs of the guests Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to Him. And when Martha complains to Jesus, He tells her that Mary has made the right choice. Weaver's book is not about giving up our duties but about serving God while we do them. It also brings up that people who tend to be "Marthas" often take on not only their duties but others' as well. ....that's me. I always take on so much that I cannot find the joy in the things that I wanted to do in the first place. This book is greatly changing my everyday life and even the way I parent. I consider myself a fairly strict mother. I often forget the ages of my children and expect them to be perfectly....Martha like. I used to raise my voice a lot at my kids...mostly out of frustration and the thinking that if I yell they will know I am angry and they will stop whatever they are doing. I have learned that is not always the case. It also seems to encourage my kids to yell more. And since one of my duties is to be a good mother I have decided to have a "Mary heart" while doing so.

I have also always been one to try and keep a clean house. Not because I wanted to (Mary), but because I thought I was expected to ( more like Martha). Now I still do the same thing (mostly because a touch of OCD is also involved) but I WANT to do and I am happy to because I am serving God and my family.

This book is really great for all kinds but for those who feel overwhelmed with the busyness of everyday life and those who think think they "must do it all", Weaver's book is very inspirational. It's funny, an easy read, and for me has painted a clearer picture of how I should view my duties as a wife, mother, and child of God.