An interesting discussion went on between some friends of mine recently.
One of them was lost without her Scooba. She didn't own a mop. In the same week her dishwasher died and her laptop crashed. She was having a really bad week.
But the very thought of it made my mind wander to today's women and how it's even possible to be a Proverbs 31 woman in today's society. Today, it seems, we have more to do than ever. Many women work, either because they want to pursue their chosen career or because they must, to support themselves and help support a family in a day when two incomes is often necessary just for basic survival. On top of that our children are more involved than ever, with soccer games and piano recitals, dance classes and play rehearsals, boy scouts, girl scouts, track, clubs...the opportunities abound and are only limited by time and money.
So how is it possible to follow the virtues of Proverbs 31 in modern society?
Well, it seems that the Proverbs 31 woman did work outside her home. She had her own "earnings" and with those earnings she invested in real estate and planted a vineyard. She traded and wisely watched over those investments. She made garments and "sashes" and sold them to merchants.
She also had servants! Verse 15 tells us "she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls." Now, by no means does this mean that she sat around all day eating bon bons. She worked hard, was charitable, took care of her family and watched over her household. Scripture tells us she "gets up while it is still dark" and she "does not eat the bread of idleness."
Here's where I think we go wrong. We try to do it all by ourselves. She had help! She had babysitters, housecleaners, and someone to do her laundry!! I think, as women, we need to let go of the idea of being a SuperMom and make use of as much help as we have available to us.
I think a modern day Proverbs 31 woman might be sitting at her kitchen table while her children do their homework, checking her e*trade portfolio on her wireless laptop, with her washing machine running in the background. She looks over contentedly and sigh as her Roomba circled by vacuuming her carpets, while her Scooba in the other room took care of the tile. After dinner, she loads the dishes in the dishwasher and sits down at her sewing machine to hem up her son's school pants. Later, she balances her checkbook online at the touch of a button and drops an email or two to keep up with friends and family. When she receives an email telling her of a mutual friend whose husband has just lost his job and is in desperate need of some groceries, she quickly logs onto the local grocery store's website and orders a delivery for the next day. One final check of her online business and she is off to bed. It's late but it's been a productive day.
Now if they could only invent something that would pick up the clutter and recycle it into something useful we'd all be in good shape!!
Enjoy the Journey!
Saturday, October 21, 2006
The Modern Proverbs 31 Woman!!
Monday, October 16, 2006
I've been tagged!!
My Friend Heather tagged me with this meme.
1. Favorite memory of your mother?
I remember being very little, sitting on my mother's lap while she taught my brother how to read. She didn't realize she was teaching me to read as well and she had to convince me that I could read even though I wasn't in Kindergarten yet.
2. Favorite memory of your father?
My father loved to sail and was always happiest out on the ocean. I inherited that from him. I love the Ocean! I love the memories we have of sailing...even when it was on our tiny little sabit (sp?).
3. What one skill would you like to wake up tomorrow and be able to do (though you'd never learned it)?
Playing piano!!
4. Which one of your dreams has come true?
Believe it or not, I am living my dream...it doesn't look exactly the way I thought it would but I've always wanted four children and I have the BEST and most BEAUTIFUL children in the world! I've always wanted to be a teacher and that I am and I enjoy it most days! I work at a GREAT school and I love the people I work with! The only part of my dream that hasn't happened yet is the fact that I always thought I would be married to a pastor, and that is my husband's dream and I would love to see him acheive that dream...not for me (I've learned the hard way that being a PW is not all it's cracked up to be) but for him!
Now I'm supposed to tag someone...I'm tagging Dave & Lori and Amy.
