The Application of the Martha & Mary passage

A  woman I know had a practical "today" application for the Martha/Mary discussion.  She helps a lot in the kitchen at our church, and she said (NOT naming names) that there are some women she will not ask to help, and if they are signed up to help, she makes sure to line up additional help to cover for them.  Because when they are supposed to be helping in the kitchen, they end up spending the time talking, then apologizing because they "just wanted to check on so and so" or "say hi to so and so that was visiting".  She equated this to Mary - seeking the spiritual, and a GOOD thing.  But the reality is, someone needs to do the work, and when  you are signed up to be the Martha that week, you need to let someone else be the Mary. 

I thought that was good.  :-)

Another online friend mentioned that she sees the story as a heart issue only - that Martha should have been happy to do her work, not focussed on what others were not doing.  "Do everything as unto the Lord".

In the NLT (which is a paraphrase of the bible, not the whole bible, but I sometimes like to check when I'm having trouble with the subjective meanings) says
 "41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”"

So based on that, maybe it's about not sweating the small stuff - more about perfectionism and lack of proper priorities? 

This makes me wonder if Mary JUST sat at Jesus feet, or if she did the work that truly needed to be done, then went to sit and hear Jesus..  and maybe Martha was a bit more concerned about everything being "just so" ?  Obviously pure speculation..  but it doesn't actually say that Mary didn't help at all, just that Martha was "cumbered" about it. 

Cumber - 1. To weigh down; burden: was cumbered with many duties.

The KJV says -

"40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

My husband sometimes tells me that I make work for myself - worrying about unimportant household tasks and details.  I wonder if that is what Martha was doing?