Choosing the Good Portion

Something I've really struggled with both before being a mom and even more so as a mom, is the enemy of comparison.  Recently, I had a friend who stayed in our home for a day.  Part of me felt this need to shift my schedule.  The person who was staying with us is an incredibly productive, hard working person.  I've finally gotten into a groove with my girls' nap time (at least during this season), and during their first nap time, I spend being in the Word.  Friends, let me tell you, it is without a doubt the best use of my time.  It is literally the most important thing I can do to be the woman, the wife, the mother, the friend that God has called me to be.  To ground myself in his truth so that I can spend the day meditating on what God says is true about himself, and about myself.  While the friend was here, I found myself questioning this time each morning.  "Will this person judge me?  Think I'm lazy?  Unproductive?  A poor steward of my time?  I know there are dishes, and laundry, and dozens of other chores to be done, and here I am, sitting in my chair reading."  And then God spoke some truth into my heart.  His spirit led me to look at this scripture:

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus[a] entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary.[b] Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.

Luke 10:38-42

That last sentence really hit me.  "Mary has chosen the GOOD portion."  Here's Martha, running around, serving Jesus, anxious about getting things done, and Mary is literally sitting at Jesus' feet listening to him.  Anyone else like Martha?  Worried about getting things done, appearing to be productive and serving?  And Jesus is seeing that Mary, who is sitting at his feet, is choosing what is good.  When I choose to sit at his feet and listen, I am choosing the good portion.  I am literally doing the best thing I could possibly do.  The posture of my heart is so much more important than the appearance of my home.  And so if I am judged or considered unproductive because of it, that's okay, because in my heart, I know that Jesus is saying "You are choosing the good portion."