By Kimberly Phyfe 
Here we are again—another familiar season in the church calendar, another return to the words that have shaped so many women of faith.
The annual reminder from Proverbs 31: that a woman of noble character is worth more than rubies, that wisdom guides her speech, and that she is clothed in strength and dignity.
We celebrate women as wives and mothers, caregivers and providers—those who rise early, tend their homes and gardens, care for the vulnerable, and labor faithfully for the good of their families.
We are told that our work builds trust, that our devotion strengthens our households, and that our lives—full of effort, intention, and service—bring honor to God.
And then, woven alongside that affirmation, is another story we know well: the moment in Bethany when two sisters welcomed Jesus into their home.
Mary and Martha, so often presented as a contrast or even a cautionary tale.
Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, listening, receiving, resting in His presence. It is a beautiful image—holy, centered, and unhurried.
Martha, meanwhile, was busy with serving, preparing, and hosting. Making sure everyone in her home was fed and cared for.
Mary loved Jesus in stillness. Martha loved Jesus in motion.
Martha is busy in the kitchen. Martha is busy cooking. Martha is busy cleaning. Martha is just so busy.
Martha’s request is simple. In the midst of welcoming Jesus and His friends, she asks Mary for help—a few moments of shared labor, a sister’s presence beside her in the work of hospitality. It is not a demand for recognition or praise; it is a quiet plea for support.
What happens? Jesus responds, not with condemnation but with redirection.
Calling Martha back from distraction and into devotion.
Two thousand years later, we hear His words and recognize ourselves in them. We are invited to sit at the feet of Jesus. To listen. To be still in His presence. To allow wonder and worship to interrupt the constant motion of our days.
Yet my heart can’t help but question:
Who will sweep the floors?
Who will do the grocery shopping?
Who will plan the meals, cook the meals, wash the dishes, put away the never-ending Tupperware containers for leftovers, pack the lunch boxes for tomorrow, check the homework is done, fold the laundry, and put away the laundry (why is there always so much laundry)? And how did this floor get dirty again while I was putting the backpacks away???
If not Martha, who?
If not Mary, who?
If not me, who?
I would love nothing more than a quiet moment with the Lord. To sit with the book of Proverbs and a sleepy puppy and a cup of coffee while it is still hot and actually listen to what God has in store for me that day.
But I’m a working mom with a husband and a home and a child with disabilities, and I volunteer at school and at church and in my community.
Quiet moments are not my strong suit. Neither is coffee while it is still hot, for that matter.
So in the busyness, I am learning to be both Mary and Martha.
I pray while I load the dishwasher.
I worship while I cook dinner.
I practice gratitude while I restock snack bins over and over again.
The daily tasks build up, one on top of the other, a ceaseless cascade of casseroles and calendars and chores.
But I love a home full of food, full of friends, full of children, full of laughter, full of love. A heart full of Proverbs 31.
Like Mary, I say yes to rest and worth and awe and value and joy.
And like Martha, I say yes to sweeping and singing, washing and worshipping, folding and faithfulness.
While not quiet and restful, I am learning to be okay spending time with the Lord in all my unglamorous daily activities, gentle gratitude accompanied by the swish swish swish of a broom.
by Ashley Bufe 
by Neely Richer 
by Shandyn Paul 
