There are times when I’m convinced two women have set up shop in my head.

The first one probably came up with the idea and put herself in charge of the move into Michele-land. She’s industrious and determined, albeit bossy. She’s the one to call when a committee needs forming and a nursery needs staffing. A mile-long to-do list turns into a been-done list in no time flat when she’s in command. She herds children better than any sheep dog and keeps the man of the house on his toes. She’s read through the Bible at least three times, finishing in precisely 365 days (except for that one leap year) and holds fellow Bible study members accountable to their homework. Small group is hosted in her home each week and she proudly sets her homemade pastries down beside all the canned imitations on Easter Sunday. If ever I’m tempted to pat myself on the back for a day’s hard work, she smirks and looks down her make-upped nose with a knowing shake of the head: no one, and I mean NO ONE works harder than Martha. The only threat to her sense of accomplishment is a glimpse at the peaceful face of her sister.

Yes, while Martha is busy dusting and straightening rooms which were dusted and straightened yesterday, her sister sits on the back porch, sipping sweet tea, sniffing flowers and occasionally throwing encouragements to her busy counterpart to cop a squat. She doesn’t wear a watch and is unconcerned about the dishes heaped in the sink. Confident the dust bunnies will still be there when she returns, she escapes into a book or a devotional, oblivious to the to-do list that keeps piling higher than last week’s laundry. She is content and at peace. Hours can pass while she strains to hear God speak to her heart (and on occasion she’s been known to forget to pick up her kids). She may never make it through the entire Bible, but she can hang out on one verse until she’s dug deep into it’s various meanings. However, try as she might to savor the silence, she can never fully escape the sense of guilt that accompanies. The Proverbs 31 woman was able to do the work as well as the worship, after all. She should probably “do” something productive.

[sigh]

As I said, two women have taken residence in my head. One understands the value of hard work (Don’t forget: God established the value of work even in the Garden of Eden!). The other values the simpler, quieter moments of merely being with God, even if that means the dishes don’t get done and dinner comes out of a box (Jesus often escaped to quiet places, right?). Guilt accompanies me whether I side with Martha or Mary. Who should I emulate if I want to be like God?

I find it both interesting and telling that the tale of two sisters, Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42), is sandwiched between the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) and Jesus’ Teaching On Prayer (Luke 11:1-13). One applauds the person willing to tirelessly serve; the other weighs heavily on the value of time spent alone with God. Clearly there is something of value in both.

Mary and Martha’s story is the subject for this next month. Though we’ll study and draw differing truths over the next few weeks, I want us to keep one thing in mind: In God’s kingdom, there is a time and place for those who serve and those who sit. There is value in both work and meditation. The trick is in learning the time for each.

Time to sit at His feet.