Making Memories the Mary Way

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Summer is for making memories, don’t you agree? So many of my childhood memories were created in the summertime. Beach vacations with my family…exploring the woods behind my house…riding bikes with friends…making arts and crafts at the park…swimming in the community pool…and jumping for joy at the sound of the ice cream truck! Such sweet memories.

Sometimes I wonder what my children will remember about their childhood. Will they remember the towels I folded neatly and stacked in the closet? Will they remember the balanced meals I prepared and the number of times I got in my car to drive them all over town? Probably not. But they will remember the time I spend with them – and the happiness they feel when we’re together.

I have to remind myself of this often. Because I’m so tempted to do things FOR my children rather than spend time WITH them. It’s the whole Mary and Martha thing – I still can’t seem to get it right!

In the story of Mary and Martha in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus and his disciples were visiting the home of two sisters. Mary was so focused on Jesus that she sat at his feet listening to every word he said. Martha, on the other hand, was so determined to serve Jesus and his disciples that she spent her time in the kitchen – and missed out on hearing his message.

I admire Martha for her commitment to serve others –and I think many moms can related to her. (Seriously – if a group of hungry men showed up at my house unexpected, I’d be frantically trying to whip up something to feed them. And I’d certainly be annoyed at my sister if she plopped herself down on the couch and left me all alone to work.) But I crave the ability to be more like Mary – to sit at the feet of Jesus and understand fully my priorities. To focus more on the people I’m with than the things I need to do.

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If I had to guess, I’d say Mary had happier memories of that visit. The kind of memories I want to have….and the kind of memories I want my children to have.

So, I leave this prayer at the feet of Jesus: Lord, please help me to schedule my day around your priorities. Teach me to spend time with you first and listen to your plan for me. Fill my heart with the desire to be fully present with my children and my family. And equip me to do everything you need me to do – and nothing more.

Please pray for me, sweet sister! Pray that I can embrace this summer as an opportunity to make forever memories with the people I love most. And I will pray the same for you. May your summer be filled with moments of peaceful happiness and memories that will last a lifetime!