About 75% of the week my house resembles something less from a Home and Garden catalog and more from an episode of Dangerous Weather and the Destruction It Causes. Frequently clothing both clean and dirty mounds in corners, my bathroom can be found to have unidentifiable wet places, my dishes take on characters of their own, my bed is not always made, my marriage is far from perfect, my children are not always respectful, they occasionally go to school without having finished all of their homework and sometimes they eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner. My life often feels like a whirlwind spinning out of control.
The Proverbs 31 woman seems to be an elusive creature. This gem of a passage tucked away at the end of Solomon's book of wisdom continually throws me for a loop. When I come across this passage I am reminded more of my inadequacies and less that this is a goal to attempt to obtain. After all, how can I attempt to manage my fields when I can barely manage my home, my marriage, and my children?
I want to help the world to see the beauty of the rainbow of individuals. We are each lovely on our own but a rainbow is brightest when all the colors join together. When I think of a Proverbs 31 woman this is who I see. Hopefully I am a little closer to this by the end of the next 90 days.
How can I possibly fall into the footsteps of this woman?
"Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies.
Her husband can trust her,
and she will greatly enrich his life.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She finds wool and flax
and busily spins it.
She is like a merchant's ship,
bringing her food from afar.
She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
and plan the day's work for her servant girls.
She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She is energetic and strong,
a hard worker.
She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
her lamp burns late into the night.
Her hands are busy spinning thread,
her fingers twisting fiber.
She extends a helping hand to the poor
and opens her arms to the needy.
She has no fear of winter for her household,
for everyone has warm clothes.
She makes her own bedspreads.
she dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
Her husband is well known at the city gates,
where he sits with other civic leaders.
She makes belted linen garments
and sashes to sell to the merchants.
She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.
Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
"There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!'
Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise."
Here I am looking at this high calling and pondering how am I suppose to be this woman? Could it be possible? I can honestly answer I do not know but for the next 90 days I'm going to make a concentrated effort to try.
Donna Partow wrote a book called "Becoming the Woman God wants Me to Be." It is a 90 day guide to living the Proverbs 31 life.
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Honestly, I'm not sure if anyone reads this blog. I find I do not have friends who I can be broken and honest with. I'm the girl who always looks like she has it together. When people come over to my house I generally make sure everything is spotless. I have pretended for a long time to be the strong woman who never falls apart. Admitting my imperfection is one of the hardest things for me to do. Pride is by far my biggest sin. But here I am on this journey. I genuinely want to be a better wife, mother, co-worker, Christian, and over all person.
Today's assignment was to write our personal vision statement. A sum of who we want to be as we "grow up". This is who or rather how I want to change the world:
I seek to help create a harmonious, calm and balanced world through education and acceptance of every persons quirks, including my own. I will remain open minded and willing to get to know a vast variety of individuals through conversation and relationship.
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I want to help the world to see the beauty of the rainbow of individuals. We are each lovely on our own but a rainbow is brightest when all the colors join together. When I think of a Proverbs 31 woman this is who I see. Hopefully I am a little closer to this by the end of the next 90 days.
What is your personal vision statement?
Answer these questions to find out.
1) What are two unique personality traits you possess?
2) How do you enjoy expressing these qualities?
3) What does an ideal world look like to you?
4) Combine all of this into a sentence.
Please, feel free to share your personal vision statement in the comments below.
Images are not my own but found on Flickr with Creative Commons Licensing.
Partrow, Donna. Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be Revell; Grand Rapids, MI, 2008.
