Hustle like Martha, pray like Mary
Years ago, I felt God placing a desire in my heart to start a pregnancy resource center in our community. I remember sitting in adoration, explaining to God all the reasons He had it wrong, all the reasons why starting a pregnancy resource center was not going to work.
At night I would go home and work, reading books on how to start a non-profit, researching the best ways to fundraise, watching tutorials on how to start a website, writing, writing, and writing, then erasing most of it and starting over. I had no idea what I was doing. Every Friday, I would go back to adoration and explain to God all the reasons His plan wasn’t working.
Early on, for six weeks, I put together a packet of ideas, reserved a free room at the local library, and put out an open invitation … “Come and find out all about this awesome pro-life ministry that doesn’t yet exist, and no, I have no experience doing this before. Be there by 6; there will be pizza.” Do you know how many nights no one came…?
I would report back to adoration, “God, not sure if you noticed, but I sat there alone, again….!
But, over time, we started to make headway. People began to notice what we were trying to do, money started coming in, and a building (quite literally) miraculously became ours. We were able to do the work for women and families that God had asked us to do.
Even as the pregnancy center became more and more successful, I kept up with my Friday business meetings— Jesus and me, adoration at 2. Sometimes, I would sit with Him entirely overwhelmed by all the graces He had shared; other days, I would cry, rehashing tough clients or awkward moments where I felt utterly inadequate…
Today, over 10 years later, I find myself in a similar spot. This new and not so new adventure of The Pelican Project has somehow emerged as a total labor of love, everything written, designed, and shared as a volunteer effort. Our work is put into the world, and I wonder what sticks, what is being used, and who has found value in what we are doing… every now it feels like another library pizza party by myself.
Just like a decade ago, Mary and Martha come to mind at a time such as these. While they both loved our Lord and walked in His gaze, their God-given temperaments differed. Im learning every day that doing and sitting at His feet are both necessary, and there is a right time for both.
My weekly business meetings in adoration was like-changing. It gave me time to scurry around town doing the work that needed to be done, then I could curl up before His feet in adoration and talk to Him about our joint work.
Each day I understand more deeply how closely He walks with us. He is there when our ministries are thriving and when they are hanging on by a thread. He is there to make business decisions with, to laugh with, to cry with… He is there to rehash all the moments we’ve struggled, and He is ready to wrap us in His arms when we sob and explain to Him all the reasons we are unworthy, unable, and unbelievably overwhelmed….
I can say, without a doubt, pro-life ministry isn’t easy. It is hard to step out on a limb and do what you think the Lord is asking of you, especially when you are burnt out and no one seems to be showing up. You need to be brave enough to be both Mary and Martha, to hustle when necessary, adoring Him with your work, but also to sit still within His embrace.
The Lord is asking something of you. You may be in the weeds of it all or pruning its beautiful fruit—either way, our Lord is there to do every bit of it with you reminding you that you are not alone and that His grace perfects our weakness.
See you next week!
