Inner Life, Outer Life

Can I Get Some Care?

Several years ago, we were just settling into life as a family of four. We had just adopted our daughter Lyla. She was one year old, and our son Russell was three at the time. It was a season filled with so much joy—and, of course, a lot of chaos.

Russell was adjusting to life with a sibling and having to share his parents’ attention. One day, early on, I was in the other room giving Lyla some care when I heard Russell call out from the other side of the house:

“Can I get some care?”

Yes. Can I get some care?

Isn’t that the question we all carry deep inside sometimes? We may not know how to express it or how to ask for it. So instead, from our pain, we lash out. We get frustrated. We grow silent. We soldier on.

Martha's Outburst

In this week's scripture, we meet Martha—a woman busy preparing food and hosting Jesus and his disciples. Meanwhile, her sister Mary is just sitting there at Jesus' feet, listening.

Eventually, Martha has had enough. She bursts out:

“Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

I don’t know about you, but I can relate to Martha. She feels alone. She feels unseen. She feels burnt out. And beneath all of that frustration is that deeper question:

Can I get some care?

A Tender Response

What’s beautiful is how Jesus responds.

He doesn’t shame her. He doesn’t scold her. Instead, He says her name—not once, but twice:

“Martha, Martha.”

In Scripture, that repetition signals tenderness. It signals affection. It’s how the Bible lets us know that Jesus sees her. That He loves her. And then He says:

“You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better.”

Inner Life, Outer Life

Jesus is naming the difference between our outer life and our inner life.

Martha’s outer life is full—she’s doing good things, she’s serving others, she’s working hard. But her inner life has become misaligned, disconnected. She’s anxious and resentful.

Mary, on the other hand, has chosen to tend to her inner life first. She’s sitting at Jesus’ feet. She’s drawing from the Source. She’s staying connected to the vine.

We all have both—an outer life that shows up in what we do and an inner life that shapes who we are. And when our outer life outpaces our inner life, we burn out. We start to resent. We wonder if anyone sees us.

But Jesus sees you.

He sees you washing the dishes. He sees you responding to work emails. He sees you wrangling toddlers, caring for aging parents, navigating grief, holding joy. He sees your tears, your fatigue, your quiet hope.

And He calls your name—gently, tenderly—inviting you not to do more, but to come sit. Even for just a moment. To receive. To breathe. To remember:

You are loved not because of what you do, but because of who you are.

Yes, You Can

So wherever you are today, we invite you to pause.

Take a breath.

Sit at Jesus’ feet.

You are not forgotten. You are not alone. And if your heart is quietly asking, “Can I get some care?”—the answer from God is a resounding:

Yes. You can.

Grace and peace to you this week.