Thursday, October 14, 2010

The name is Martha...not Mary!

My name is Martha! I was named after my 4ft11in great-granny Martha. She was called "marthE, by those around her, but she was a Martha just the same.
                                (My Great-Granny Creel (known as MarthE to her family, but really a Martha! She is holding me in the photo, my great-grandapa "Papa Creel, my grandmother, Honey and my mom are also pictured here....this was probably taken in 1968 or '69)
                                                        
 I grew up 'thinking' the name Martha meant lady, or at least that's what I read in the name meaning books. But recently, the name Martha has taken on a new meaning. I think it has something to do with that book that was written Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. Give me a break!! I remember when a church member came to me one day discussing in a sugary sweet tone how she wanted to have a Mary heart in this Martha world...it just made me want to gag..


 So Martha gets uptight in the Bible  because she's getting no help in the kitchen while Jesus is visiting...and she gets a bad rap. I think I would be more than stressed out if I was her too after all Jesus was in her house as well as a lot of other folks. I think she would want things just right!  However, she was also one of Jesus's really good friends...and she had great faith..didn't she say, Jesus, if you would have been here, my brother Lazarus would not have died?...she knew that Jesus was the answer.


I guess Martha was a worrier...and I admit...I tend to lean on the worrying side. Yes, I know worrying is a sin. I give my worries over to Jesus and then snatch them back...
                                                   Don't Worry Be Happy!


As many know, when my daughter, Karlie was 4 years old she was skinnier and shorter than the doctor-world wanted her to be. We were sent  to every known specialist alive or so it seemed...and were threatening to give her growth hormone shots. I was a little worried...little is putting it mildly...I was a lot worried...I didn't want to give my baby girl shots daily forever for something to make her grow maybe 2 extra inches?!?! So, before the big 3 hour test she was to take (on a fast) and they were to take her blood every 15mins. I prayed to God for some confirmation that everything was going to be alright. I got some good verses from Him when I opened up my Bible...things like I am your rock! and I said to God, that's a good one, but can you give me something else too...then I would get another really good verse...and I'd say that's good too...but can you just give me something to really confirm that everything is going to be alright?  Basically, I wanted to read a verse that said, Martha it's going to be alright! SO then I opened my Bible, and my eyes fell on the words of Jesus in red and it said, "Martha, Martha you are upset and worried about many things, but only one thing is important!" He got my attention. He called my name! I knew it was all going to be alright...and it was...She had a normal test result...She's still petite, just like He made her...beautiful!
       Here's Karlie with her Dad...Isn't she Beautiful? SO, why did I waste my time worrying over a growth hormone test when she was 4?...(I told those doctors, maybe she's just petite cause there's a "few" in the family that are petite...her momma just "ain't" one of um!)


 So, in this Martha world don't try to be a Mary, be like Jesus and let Him live through you...all other examples fall short!  
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2 comments:

  1. GREAT POST! And Karlie has grown up to be a most beautiful daughter! I'm proud my girls enjoy being friends with her and I'm proud to call you my friend Martha!

    And why do so many people try to insist that MY name is Martha? LOL! I just prefer Martie over Marlene and if I lived somewhere that no one had ever met me before I'd just use my first name and be Katie. :)

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