Friday, January 25, 2008
Proverbs 31 woman - Day 6
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"First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. She senses the worth of her work, and is in no hurry to call it quits for the day." PHEW. Just reading that makes me tired!!! But, there it is AGAIN ladies.......early to get up, last one in bed. Sigh. I'm doing pretty good with the first part, lark that I am and all. It's the keeping the eyes open after say.....7 or 8 at night I'm having trouble with. Hubby says it's because I'm not 'healthy'. Now, what he means by that is: we don't eat right (can't right now due to finances), we don't exercise and we just don't have that 'mentality'. I'm sure proper nutrition AND proper physical activity would go a LONG way toward keeping my little peepers open past 7. I just don't know how to accomplish that on the budget we're on right now. I know, I know.....exercise costs nothing. Yah. SHHHH. I'm in denial. Seriously. I'm the gal that used to say "exercise is against my religion" (not really) or "my mother taught me it was not lady-like to sweat" (and she really, REALLY did!) We can glow or glisten, just not sweat. I've used the verse in the Bible that says 'vain are the legs of man' and other avoidance tactics. And I wonder where small son gets it?? And I KNOW I "hear" Flylady in here......first thing in the morning, getting dressed (don't forget the shoes!) I think the most important part of this verse is WHY I struggle with staying up later. "She senses the worth of her work". I think people who sense that their work is worth something tend to put more into it. Take it more seriously. IN EVERY aspect of life. Here's where the feminists of this age have sold us a bill of goods, and unfortunately, we've bought into it. They cheapen and demean the keeper at home title. They tell us we're nothing unless we put on the Chanel suit and Nine West pumps and leave the home hours a day. They make jokes and laugh at us when they see us in the stores in our sweats or jeans, dragging multiple children. They see what a terrible state we're in and have decided they do NOT want that for themselves, so they belittle and deride our 'occupation'. And we've allowed them. If we truly 'sensed our worth'.....we would keep ourselves, our homes, our children and especially our husbands in better shape. We would NOT feel inferior when the nice smelling lady stands next to us at the check out with her Lean Cuisine and chai tea in her little basket over her arm. The worth of what we are doing as help meets and keepers at home FAR exceeds her measley little position at some corporation that eventually will be gone.......while ours will remain!!! Why not make something of what we do?? SENSE it's worth? Realize that same woman climbing into that expensive foreign car ALSO had a mother. She came from somewhere. Maybe her mother was a keeper at home who did NOT sense the worth of her work and because of that her daughter saw that she did NOT want to be one of those frumpy housefrau's......so she took what the feminists had to offer and ran with it with all she was worth. SO much can be accomplished when we sense the worth of whatever we're doing. If I sense the worth of my marriage, then I will put more into it. If I sense the worth of what my children will become, then I put more into raising them, become more 'active' in their lives. If I sense the worth of my ministry, whether it's cleaning the church once a week, sending out emails or cards to the shut ins or even singing in the choir, leading a Sunday School class or working in the nursery, then I will make more of an effort and not get discouraged. Maybe if I sensed more worth in what I did for the Lord, I wouldn't be late for choir practice or find someone else to take my nursery rotation. Maybe I'll sign my child up for that extra class that I have to drive miles for or get up early because of. Maybe I'll listen to my husband more. Really HEAR what it is he's saying. Spend some extra time with him rather than with my friends or working on something I want to do. As the keeper at home, maybe if is sensed the worth of my work, my dishes would always be done, (or almost always, instead of the other way around). Maybe the house would stay picked up. Maybe I'd look for more interesting recipes. Maybe I'd even make some new curtains for the kitchen or take a real interest in what my husband likes the place to look like. I've really been mulling over what "senses her worth" actually means. Ultimately, I believe we are to 'sense our worth' thru Christ and HIS righteousness and what HE'S done for us.....not in anything we have done or accomplished. SO, putting THAT together with "do everything as unto the Lord".....it is HIS 'worth' in us that will come shining through. When we do anything. So, I'm not going to mind getting up early and getting dressed, because I'm doing it THRU his worth as UNTO Him. I'm going to roll up my sleeves, eager to get started.....because HE'S shining thru me. And I'm going to do everything.....the dishes, the mopping, the teaching, the loving and the running......like I'm doing it right in front of Christ, maybe with Him right in the room (and He is, you know)......showing HIM what I am capable of because HE'S "in" me with the presence of the Holy Spirit. That's it's not me at all.....ultimately, it's HIM. And yes, I will stay up that extra hour or so and COMPLETE that apron or that afghan or look for that extra project for small son or mend that shirt for hubby or even just sit and listen ........because I 'sense that worth' in those things.....because Christ is living in ME, which is the biggest "worth" of them all and I want to give back just a portion of all He's done for me. Whew. Sorry to get so emotional and deep, but that is just how this verse struck me. Yes, there's all the physical, outward 'doing' stuff, like getting up early, getting dressed, rolling up your sleeves (and I'm sorry, ladies, but I THINK that means we might get ourselves a little dirty or the work might be long and difficult and we might get tired). There's even the staying up late. But I don't think I could do ANY of it, without the sense of my worth that comes from who I am in Christ. None of this whole "self esteem" malarkey. It's "Christ esteem" in us that is MY worth. And that, I believe would turn the world on it's ear, if we keepers at home would just get ahold of it! And that Proverbs 31 woman knew it all those years ago!! Denise aka The Domestic Angel |
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Friday, January 25, 2008 - Untitled Comment
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Posted by Friday, January 25, 2008 - Thank you!!!
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Posted by Friday, January 25, 2008 - Untitled Comment
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