Just as a review, here is her portrait, painted within the words of the Bible:
Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character
Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character
10. A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
11. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
12. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
13. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
14. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
15. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.
16. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
18. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
19. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle her fingers.
20. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
21. When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25. She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
26. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
29. "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."
30. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
31. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gatewith.
As I sit here today, ready to follow the call in my heart on a 30 day quest into the unknowns of prayer...I find myself drawn here, in these "forbidden" verses wondering why she is so detested. Don't get me wrong, tho!! I am a wife and a mom so I totally understand that her "perfection" in all she does can feel like an unreachable portrait of who a woman is...but I find my heart drawn to the softer side of her...
I mean, what IF she is just a real girl?
What if we consider for a moment that the description of her that is laid out in these verses was NOT written by a husband who was lamenting about the woman who can never be found...and not by a human who can never possibly measure up.
What if, crazily, we go on the basis that this portrait of a woman was hand drawn by the God who knows the capabilities that his creation carries within her...that this portrait was painted from His love for her and His vision of who she really is?
What if, for one moment each day, we accept that her description isn't unreachable by us...but is only reachable by us thru an active, open and real relationship with God?
As I make my journey thru the verses that make her up in an effort to better understand who I am in my Creator, I pray you would give her a fresh look...and a part of your heart.
Looking up as always...
~ Bina ~
1 comment:
Her character is unreachable in todays time because we often feel pressure to live up to a different God's standards. Women especially feel the pressure to be the perfect wife and mother in ways that I think God would pretty much roll his eyes at. Read any Cosmo and you will see 'a guide to the perfect women' printed on every page; use this cream to avoid wrinkles, do these things in bed, wear this kind of clothing, your child should be doing this, and if you're not doing this...then oh you're looked down upon. We often wear this or do that, or have our children doing this great sport, not to look good in front of God or to show how much we love him, we do it for us to look good in front of others. We get caught up in the Cosmo God.
I think, for me, this portrait is painted to show that everything she does, she does because she has pride, love and a deep sense of using every fiber of her soul to show God how much she loves him. I think if you were to see the women in this passage in real life you would see that at the end of the day, her clothes are dirty, and the things she says are sometimes not accepted by those around her. I think this portrait shows how God see's her. He doesn't see the dirty clothes or messed up hair, what He see's is beautiful and inspiring. He sees her heart and that out shines the mud and muck. God doesn't see you from the outside in, He's sees you from the inside out.
I love your writings. They make me smile...and think. In a way they are kind of like a mini Bible lesson.
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