That Dreaded Woman
Tonight at Chapel on the Hill's "Connections" Bible study and prayer time, we concluded our weekly trek through the book of Proverbs. And that means we got to the dreaded Virtuous Woman of the last chapter.
She's like a certain British nanny, "Practically perfect in every way." She shops, she saves, she sells, she exercises, she plans, she sews, she spins. She's beautiful, she never sleeps, and she's nice, on top of it.
Yeah, "dreaded."
I want my husband's heart to safely trust in me and my children to rise up and call me blessed. But sometimes I fear I sound more like the Other Proverbs Woman. No, not the honey-lipped Immoral Woman of chapter 5 - but the one mentioned occasionally throughout the chapters, the one who is contentious, a continual "dripping" ("How many times do I have to tell you?...What were you thinking about?...I called you five times already!" Yeah, that one.)
But tonight's Bible study was encouraging. I'd never sat in on a study of the Virtuous Woman passage with several men in the room, and with women from 20 on up to 80. They were thoughtful and funny and insightful - and I feel encouraged to re-visit Proverbs 31, with a little less guilt and pressure.
One verse that really jumped out at me tonight was verse 20. I'm sure I've read it a hundred times, but it took on new meaning right now:
My brother wrote on his blog about the needs of the people affected by the earthquake in Pakistan (the death toll is now at 79,000 - that is unfathomable). And he set up a page on World Vision's website to raise funds for things like "tents, blankets, tarps, food and water containers, hygiene and medical kits and burial cloths." Consider giving something to this - or setting up your own page for donations for World Vision.
It just hit me. I can be a Proverbs 31 woman! I'll just take it slow - no spindle and distaff right now. I'll just take it one verse at a time....
She's like a certain British nanny, "Practically perfect in every way." She shops, she saves, she sells, she exercises, she plans, she sews, she spins. She's beautiful, she never sleeps, and she's nice, on top of it.
Yeah, "dreaded."
I want my husband's heart to safely trust in me and my children to rise up and call me blessed. But sometimes I fear I sound more like the Other Proverbs Woman. No, not the honey-lipped Immoral Woman of chapter 5 - but the one mentioned occasionally throughout the chapters, the one who is contentious, a continual "dripping" ("How many times do I have to tell you?...What were you thinking about?...I called you five times already!" Yeah, that one.)
But tonight's Bible study was encouraging. I'd never sat in on a study of the Virtuous Woman passage with several men in the room, and with women from 20 on up to 80. They were thoughtful and funny and insightful - and I feel encouraged to re-visit Proverbs 31, with a little less guilt and pressure.
One verse that really jumped out at me tonight was verse 20. I'm sure I've read it a hundred times, but it took on new meaning right now:
"She extends her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy."And I thought: I can do that! I can reach out my hands to the needy!
My brother wrote on his blog about the needs of the people affected by the earthquake in Pakistan (the death toll is now at 79,000 - that is unfathomable). And he set up a page on World Vision's website to raise funds for things like "tents, blankets, tarps, food and water containers, hygiene and medical kits and burial cloths." Consider giving something to this - or setting up your own page for donations for World Vision.
It just hit me. I can be a Proverbs 31 woman! I'll just take it slow - no spindle and distaff right now. I'll just take it one verse at a time....
posted by Donna-Jean Breckenridge at Thursday, October 20, 2005
1 Comments:
I heard someone explain this chapter once as a compilation of everything a virtuous woman is over a LIFETIME. How refreshing to think that we don't have to be all things to everyone at all times, that there is a season for each : )
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