Thursday, January 17, 2008
Proverbs 31 woman - Day 3
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Ok, today is going to be a fun one for me...... "She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing." Ok, anything that starts with "shopping" can't be all bad, right? But, this has a serious side as well, which my hubby pointed out to me yesterday. How many women can say they ENJOY knitting and sewing? His finer point was......how many women even KNOW how to knit or sew? You know, I worked outside the home this fall for the first time in 13 years. I worked at Joann Fabrics and Crafts for 2 whole months, until sanity returned and we brought small son back home from a 9 week stint in a Christian school and I came back home.....forevermore, I pray!!!! In those 2 months, I worked as a cashier. You would think the amount of people who came thru the doors of Joann's and then thru the register lines would be some kind of indication of how much women like to knit or sew, right?? Well, upon reflection, I can honestly tell you that MOST of those women were there buying seasonal itemsand I was told by those that have worked there for years, that after the 'holiday' rush, the store becomes a ghost town, with the coupons they put in flyers being the only thing that brings in customers.These women were buying Halloween costumes, Christmas and fall home decorations, candles, childrens crafts (although for the life of me I don't know why), cake decorating supplies and other home decorating items, like candles, picture frames, etc..... Now, this tells me that these women truly cared about their homes and the character they reflected.....but were they buying fabric and/or yarn? Nope. Well, let me elaborate (surely by now you 'get' that I WILL elaborate, eh?). I checked thru TONS of fabric.....but the fabric was basically one of two types. It was the fleece for the 'no-sew' blankets, scarves, etc.....or it was calico or cotton or some type of fabric for quilting projects. And these types of fabrics were mostly bought by women who could buy their coffee at a discount at McDonald's .....if you get my drift. And the yarn. I am a yarn a holic!!!! Not to mention fabric, but I digress......Most of the conversation I had about yarn, knitting, crochet, etc, as they were passing thru my line and I asked "So, what are you making?" was with women MUCH older than myself. Don't get me wrong. I LOVE to learn from someone who's had more life experience than me, I am using this as an example. Joann's would like you to think that the entire female world is sewing. Or knitting......I am here to tell you they are NOT....they are "crafting", which is a womanly, God honoring trait in itself, but.....if you read further down in this Proverbs 31 passage......our woman of the hour made all her own clothes, B-E-A-U-tiful clothing for herself. She took sweaters she had made to dress shops to sell....and more on that later, but isn't making a sweater for someone now a late night comedians favorite joke line?? Isn't that type of industriousness relegated to the same level as the ugly tie you give to Dad every Christmas and the picture they paint of the woman who do these things is one that makes her appear old, ugly and not quite with it?? Quite the opposite of what THIS passage paints and I am here to help bring it back where it belongs, I'll tell ya! This verse brought SO many things to my mind. It brought regrets....I wish I had taught my daughter more of the home arts my mother spent the time and taught me.....but, alas, I was a single mom for WAY too long and wrapped up in making something of MYSELF......not my daughter.....and trust me, there will be more on that later!!! But, it also brought some of the best memories of my growing up years. HOURS spent with my mother. Beside her on the sofa as she taught me how to knit. With her behind me as I sat at the sewing machine, encouraging me as I sewed on a difficult project and she showed me a few 'trick's of the trade. When I hear young women speak of spending that much time with their mothers today, it is more of a punishment to them.....not a 'learning' experience. Hours, yea probably DAYS if the truth were known....were spent in stores like Joann's, Hancocks, little out of the way fabric shops with my mother.....searching for just that right fabric or a pattern with just the right collar. Todays society does NOT value these traits. It has no use for them, especially when you can waltz into Wally World (aka Walmart) and purchase a complete ensemble for about twenty bucks. You can't sew something for that cheap. Cheap being the operative word here.......wash it a few times and it falls apart....or wait long enough (a few months) and it goes out of style. My mother said something very interesting to me once. She said that it USED to be that she did all her own sewing because it WAS cheaper. NOW, she says she does it for the QUALITY. And I can completely agree, as will so many others that sew. But today's society also has dictated what we women spend our time on. No longer are we to be content to be those keepers at home.....teaching our daughters the home arts.....we are supposed to long for a 'career', we are supposed to be teaching our daughters that THEY need to get this huge 'degree' so they can go out in the business world and be "SUCCESSFUL"..... Has anyone been reading some of the same articles I have lately?? Where women are 'coming home' in droves. They just feel like something is "missing"? I've asked it before and I'll ask it again......what are we teaching and more importantly MODELING for our daughters?? We are SO responsible for our daughters. Sons, too, but....you understand. Today's young lady thinks dunking a basketball like the guy next door is more important than sitting still and learning to knit. Or sew. There are more sports programs for young girls in most public schools now than there are for boys. More girls are admitted to institutions of higher learning than boys. Check the stats. Does 4-H even HAVE a sewing or knitting entry for young ladies any more?? I've seen some projects at county fair that older women have done.....are they passing on what they know?? I have been praying lately for a revival for the home arts. As you can tell.....it is a subject near and dear to my heart. Not just because I like to do it, but because it is a Godly, Biblical pursuit. I pray that every Christian woman who has daughters either passes on what she knows in that area OR learns how to do it herself so she can pass it on (it has been a few generations since this type of thing was in 'vogue')......before knitting and sewing (and other home arts) becomes a dying or lost art. Shops and enjoys. Knitting and sewing. If only. Denise aka The DOMESTIC Angel (and proud to say my momma taught me everything I know!) |
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Thursday, January 17, 2008 - Untitled Comment
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Posted by Thursday, January 17, 2008 - Hello!
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