Trust

"This is a Savior who accepts us just the way we are- Mary or Martha or a combination of both-but loves us too much to leave us that way. He is the one who can give us a Mary heart in a Martha world." ~ Joanna Weaver

I’ve always been intrigued by the story of Mary and Martha. While I love the picture of Mary, ignoring the whispers of others, making her way to Jesus, I empathize with Martha. While I hope that I would be a Mary, pouring my praise on Christ with oil from an alabaster box, I fear that I might be a Martha…too focused on the task at hand to focus on Jesus.

In Emily Freeman’s book, Grace for the Good Girl, she spends a whole chapter on “Martha and Her Many Things.” Emily explains that Martha thought she was irreplaceable and that the work would not get done unless she did it. While Martha got a few things right, she missed the mark. Martha had many things she felt needed to get done, and so do we. Emily encourages readers to think of our many things. Our lists grow longer and longer and become more daunting. Emily also thinks of infertile Sarah in the Old Testament and how her lack of trust in God caused her to convince Abraham to conceive with Hagar. Sarah thought she needed to find another way for God’s promise of having a child to come to be, that she couldn’t possibly become pregnant without creating her own plan.

As a woman struggling with infertility, I often lose trust, like Sarah, and try to find other ways to become pregnant….hours on the internet, searching the latest and greatest research, reading endless blogs of other women in my situation…and I lose sight of Christ. I focus on the work, rather than the worship.

When we find ourselves focusing on the work rather than the worship, may we think of Mary. Worship should flow out of the hearts of those that believe. Mary, Jesus’ mother, also gave worship rather than work. When the angel of the Lord came to her and told her she would conceive a child and give birth to a son named Jesus, she trusted and worshiped.

May I learn to trust God so that pleasing Him is automatic, rather than working to please Him and finding it hard to trust.

(Thought and excerpts from the book Grace for the Good Girl)

Alabaster Box - A song by CeCe Winans

The room grew still

As she made her way to Jesus

She stumbles through the tears that made her blind

She felt such pain

Some spoke in anger

Heard folks whisper

There's no place here for her kind

Still on she came

Through the shame that flushed her face

Until at last, she knelt before his feet

And though she spoke no words

Everything she said was heard

As she poured her love for the Master

From her box of alabaster


Refrain


And I've come to pour

My praise on Him

Like oil from Mary's alabaster box

Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears

And I dry them with my hair

You weren't there the night He found me

You did not feel what I felt

When he wrapped his love all around me and

You don't know the cost of the oil

In my alabaster box


Can't forget the way life used to be

I was a prisoner to the sin that had me bound

And I spent my days 

Poured my life without measure

Into a little treasure box

I'd thought I'd found

Until the day when Jesus came to me

And healed my soul

With the wonder of His touch

So now I'm giving back to Him

All the praise He's worthy of

I've been forgiven 

And that's why

I love Him so much


Refrain


And I've come to pour

My praise on Him

Like oil from Mary's alabaster box

Don't be angry if I wash his feet with my tears

And dry them with my hair (my hair)

You weren't there the night Jesus found me

You did not feel what I felt 

When He wrapped his loving arms around me and

You don't know the cost of the oil

Oh, you don't know the cost of my praise

You don't know the cost of the oil

In my alabaster box

~Paige