Martha, Martha

I am alone.

I say these words behind a deep, drawn-out sigh of contentment.

I have been up and going since before 5:00 a.m. today, and I am just now trying to wind down. It was a good day. It was a day with an immense amount of work to do, an immense amount of food to eat, and immense relief that it is almost over. It was a very good day.

My home, for all intents and purposes, is fairly clean. Cobwebs are gone and dust has been banished. Lunch and the time spent with my mother and sister and her family was sweet. Dinner here turned out much better than I thought it would, and leftovers were surprisingly few. Twenty-five people were here for the evening meal, including my almost two-year-old grandson and my nine-month-old granddaughter. We were surprised by an additional four members of the family we thought would not be able to make it. My ninety-one-year-old mother-in-law was here after coming through an illness which will leave her weak for some time to come, and she is spending the weekend with us as part of her recuperation.

For all of these things, and so many more, I am truly thankful.

At this time last year happiness of this sort eluded me. I was too stressed. Too busy with preparations for a dinner I did not want to host, yet was expected to host as we have done every year since forever, or so it seems. My house was a mess, the relationship I had with my children was barely hanging on by a thread, and I was ready to throw in the towel. Getting ready for the day consisted of me going off the deep end, screaming like a banshee, making life a living hell for those around me as I played Goddess of All She Surveys In The House. Everything had to be PERFECT. Cleaning had to be done perfectly. Cooking had to be done perfectly. Setting up for the dinner had to be done perfectly.

I ended up driving my family crazy. Perfectly.

I had a Martha complex.

In Luke 10:38-41 the Bible tells of a woman named Martha. Martha and I could be twins. Take a look at the passage as quoted from the Contemporary English Version of the Bible:

Martha and Mary

38 The Lord and his disciples were traveling along and came to a village. When they got there, a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.
39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat down in front of the Lord and was listening to what he said.
40 Martha was worried about all that had to be done. Finally, she went to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!"
41 The Lord answered, "Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about so many things,
42 but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her."

After all was said and done last year, after all the food was eaten and the guests had gone home, I collapsed in tears. Nothing had gone the way I'd wanted it to go. The house was still imperfect. The meal had flaws. The tables weren't something Martha Stewart would have been proud of. My sentences even ended in many more prepositions.

I was feeling sorry for myself in a big way, and continuing to make those around me miserable.

But a funny thing happened. Even if my house was not perfectly clean, even if my food was not perfectly cooked, even if the tables were decorated in a less-than-perfect way......

NO ONE CARED EXCEPT ME.

Let me say that again for emphasis....

NO ONE CARED EXCEPT ME.

And what I cared about was totally wrong.

Because you see, Thanksgiving isn't about perfection. Thanksgiving is just what the name implies. It's a time to GIVE THANKS.

Thanks for a family that puts up with a crazed mother.

Thanks for a family to enjoy both away and here.

Thanks for the time we have to spend with those we love.

Thanks for the food we have to eat, the clothing we have to wear, and the home we are able to share.

Thanks for the young, and thanks for the old.

Thanks for an almost-clean home.

Thanks for love, laughter and really good mashed potatoes.

Thanks for one Lord, one Savior, one little baby, one Easter morn.

And thanks for friends like you who care enough to read the rantings of this woman's heart.

Blessings to you on this Thanksgiving Day, and throughout the coming year!

Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.

Psalm 69:30
I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.