Grace in Tension: Discover Peace with Martha and Mary

We all face stress and tension in our daily lives. How we respond either diffuses or ignites it. If lit, we can feel stretched beyond our capabilities, wondering why our God of abundant goodness doesn’t remove the struggles we face.

Grace in Tension affirms that although God doesn’t create our tension, he does show up in the midst of it to lead us through. Centered on Jesus’ interactions with Martha and Mary in the gospels, we can follow the sisters’ transformative journeys through their own struggles. Reflecting on what transpires between Scripture verses, we see their initial tension become the catalyst that drives both Mary and Martha to the feet of Jesus — the perfect place to discover peace.

Simultaneously, Grace in Tension explores the areas where stress arises in our own lives. Each chapter contains helpful tips to address it, a thought-provoking prayer to inspire us to go to God with our problems, and questions for reflection to help us see all the ways he is working for our good. No matter how big or small our struggle, when we seek out God, he reveals what we need to do to resolve our tension, transforming it into grace.

Claire McGarry is the author of the Lenten devotionals With Our Savior and Abundant Mercy. She contributes regularly to Living Faith, CatholicMom.com, and blogs at ShiftingMyPerspective.com. Her work has appeared in Mornings with Jesus, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Keys for Kids, These Days, The Secret Place, and Focus on the Family magazine. The founder of MOSAIC of Faith, a ministry with several programs for mothers and children, she lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children