--- title: Choosing Limits description: When Claire McGarry invites her pastor to dinner, she sees a direct correlation to Jesus coming to dinner at the home of Martha and Mary. image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/20230216%20CMcGarry%201.png --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/choosing-limits#) [SUNDAY BRUNCH](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/tag/sunday-brunch) # Choosing Limits Feb 16, 2023 8:30:00 AM  |  by [Claire McGarry](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/claire-mcgarry) ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/20230216%20CMcGarry%201.png) *When Claire McGarry invites her pastor to dinner, she sees a direct correlation to Jesus coming to dinner at the home of Martha and Mary.* --- I recently invited our pastor over for dinner. Life was chaotic leading up to it, with my housekeeping falling to the wayside. As I looked around at the mess and dirt in my home that day, the Gospel passage in Luke 10 came to mind. Jesus comes to dinner and the two sisters make different choices: Mary chooses to be at the feet of Jesus and Martha chooses to serve. Clearly, in this scenario, my priest was Jesus. What I needed to decide was who was I going to be: Martha or Mary? We all have a Martha and Mary within us. Most of us tend to nurture one more than the other, however, causing that side of us to dominate in most situations. I’m a Martha through and through. I love her feistiness, and I know she’s a girl that gets things done. As much as others try to peg her as the “bad sister,” she’s my hero. But even heroes have places within that need to grow. For Martha, she needed to put limits on her “doing for Jesus” so she could focus more on “being with Jesus,” balancing herself out.   ![null](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/20230216%20CMcGarry%201.jpg?width=1080&height=1080&name=20230216%20CMcGarry%201.jpg)   In light of that, was I going to expend all my energy on “doing”—whipping my house into shape and cooking a complicated meal so when my pastor arrived, my physical surroundings were ready but I was too exhausted to actually be happy he was here? Or was I going to put limits on my to-do list, focusing only on the absolute must-haves so my house and meal were good enough, but I still had the bandwidth to enjoy his visit?   > [Click to tweet: > Putting limits on my preparations wasn’t a one-time choice. I had to keep leaning on God to help me choose limits over and over again. #CatholicMom](https://ctt.ac/5XROb) Fortunately, I chose the latter. But it wasn’t just a one-time decision. As the day went on, I kept feeling that temptation to take on more and more in my preparations. I had to keep leaning on God to help me choose limits over and over again. Along with the grace He poured out came the reminder of why I was hosting in the first place: to welcome my pastor and get to know him better. I’m happy to report that the evening was a success! Conversation flowed, my kids behaved, the meal was great, and my house passed muster. But most of all, I was present for it all—in the moment the entire time, and incredibly grateful for God’s help through it all.   ![null](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/20230216%20CMcGarry%203.png?width=1080&height=1080&name=20230216%20CMcGarry%203.png) --- Copyright 2023 Claire McGarry Images: Canva; [Hendrik Scheffer](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scheffer,_Henry_-_J%C3%A9sus_chez_Marthe_et_Marie_-_93.5_-_Mus%C3%A9e_de_la_Vie_romantique.jpg), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fchoosing-limits%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fchoosing-limits%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fchoosing-limits%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Choosing%20Limits) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fchoosing-limits%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fchoosing-limits%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Claire McGarry](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Claire%20McGarry.jpg) ### [Claire McGarry](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/claire-mcgarry) Claire McGarry is the author of [Grace in Tension: Discover Peace with Martha and Mary](https://amzn.to/3w2ZEgR), and the Lenten family devotionals [With Our Savior](https://www.creativecommunications.com/Products/FM3TV/with-our-savior-family-devotions-for-lent.aspx) and [Abundant Mercy](https://catholic.creativecommunications.com/Products/AM5TV/abundant-mercy-family-devotions-for-lent.aspx). Claire is a regular contributor to *Living Faith*, and her freelance work has appeared in several books, magazines, and devotionals. She blogs weekly at [Shifting My Perspective](https://shiftingmyperspective.com/), and lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children. Follow her on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/ClaireMcGarryAuthor), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/clairemcgarrywrites/), and [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Claire-McGarry/e/B07NCB7ZKL). [**](https://www.facebook.com/ClaireMcGarryAuthor) [**](https://twitter.com/clairemcgarry2) ## Related Blog Articles [ Meatless Friday: Easy Spinach Quiche Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2015/12/11/meatless-friday-easy-spinach-quiche) [ Meatless Friday: Low-Fat Bean and Cheese Nachos Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2015/01/16/meatless-friday-low-fat-bean-and-cheese-nachos) [ Meatless Friday: Veggie Udon Soup Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2016/03/04/meatless-friday-veggie-udon-soup) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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