"She doesn't worry about her family when it snows;
their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear."
their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear."
Qualities:
Peaceful Demeanor: Cool-Calm-Collected
Prepared: Organized in anticipation of ready mentally, & physically for what's to come
Breakdown:
Here in Indiana seasons are wildly unpredictable. Spring came in early February this last year, & some would argue that Winter never really arrived in the first place. There are years where Summer goes straight to Winter with no sign at all of Autumn. Spring has been reduced to a mere few days...a couple of weeks at best. To my husband's bewilderment, I have begun a habit of buying my oldest daughter's clothes a year in advance (1. Clearance = BIG Savings! 2. The way the weather is here, it's good to be ready with clothes that fit!) Call it OCD, or over-anxious...I like to call it being prepared. Years ago I'd read a devotional about becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman (P31W) & preparedness was one of the qualities the author listed as an important one to master. The biblical P31W had her ducks in a row. I'd imagine that come winter time her pantry was full of canned goods, supplies stocked up for a surprise snow storm (Not really sure if this happened in the middle-east or not). She had the hand-me-downs ready for the next kiddo in the line...fire wood was stacked at the kitchen door ready to keep the hearth blazing hot. The P31W was prepared for the seasons to change & for nature to take it's course. The result of being ready for what's to come is that the P31W can (for the most part) remain peaceful, cool-calm-&-collected.
We live a life of busyness. Most of us hover in a state of chaos a vast majority of the time. Obligations, commitments, appointments, hobbies, even leisure activities fill up our days & evenings. Many of us are lucky to get a moment to stop long enough to take a deep breath every day. Daily life just leaves us plain weary. Being prepared & organized can allow a hectic life to run a little more smoothly....thereby making it easier for the modern day P31W to maintain a demeanor of peace & not one of anxiousness. I do want to say that busyness is not a good thing. It's very hard to "Be Still & Know He is God" when we are running around with chickens with our heads cut off. We are rarely still...therefore we rarely listen (truly listen) to Our Father. Our relationship with Him often has a vast chasm merely because of this lack of time to abide in the Lord, & if our Spiritual life suffers it can only be assumed that other relationships suffer as well. How often does your family simply take a quiet evening at home, sitting down to dinner with no rush to be off doing something else? How often do your children get a quiet day at home to simply play & take a good nap? There is no condemnation here, only a desire that we be aware of how truly busy we stay. We cannot be of calm temperament (not a long-term peaceful nature) when we are always in a state of rush. I know that paychecks must be earned, that children benefit from sports, & that being involved in various activities can build character, but the real nitty-gritty truth is that we benefit far greater from true focus on our Father & from quality, well-spent family time.
Looking beyond physical preparedness, I would venture to say that the P31W must also be ready for the Spiritual & Emotional seasonal changes that occur within her life & the lives of her loved ones. Marriages (even good ones) go through highs & lows. Children go through difficult developmental stages. Families endure painful stretching & growing pains. A godly woman, prepared by maintaining & pursuing her faith, guides & supports her family through these times. She better equipped to maintain a state of peace throughout these trying moments.
Application:
Work towards being physically prepared for the busyness of life. Strive to cut out unnecessary extras that make life more hectic than it ought to be. Pin up a calendar that lists all obligations of the week, make menus, buy ahead, etc. Endeavor towards maintaining a demeanor of peace so that it might radiate to your loved ones.
Pray about hard times to come, the burdens your spouse bears, the years of questioning or rebellion your children might face...prepare yourself to be their support & confidant by seeking out scripture that will help in these times.
Prepared: Organized in anticipation of ready mentally, & physically for what's to come
Breakdown:
Here in Indiana seasons are wildly unpredictable. Spring came in early February this last year, & some would argue that Winter never really arrived in the first place. There are years where Summer goes straight to Winter with no sign at all of Autumn. Spring has been reduced to a mere few days...a couple of weeks at best. To my husband's bewilderment, I have begun a habit of buying my oldest daughter's clothes a year in advance (1. Clearance = BIG Savings! 2. The way the weather is here, it's good to be ready with clothes that fit!) Call it OCD, or over-anxious...I like to call it being prepared. Years ago I'd read a devotional about becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman (P31W) & preparedness was one of the qualities the author listed as an important one to master. The biblical P31W had her ducks in a row. I'd imagine that come winter time her pantry was full of canned goods, supplies stocked up for a surprise snow storm (Not really sure if this happened in the middle-east or not). She had the hand-me-downs ready for the next kiddo in the line...fire wood was stacked at the kitchen door ready to keep the hearth blazing hot. The P31W was prepared for the seasons to change & for nature to take it's course. The result of being ready for what's to come is that the P31W can (for the most part) remain peaceful, cool-calm-&-collected.
We live a life of busyness. Most of us hover in a state of chaos a vast majority of the time. Obligations, commitments, appointments, hobbies, even leisure activities fill up our days & evenings. Many of us are lucky to get a moment to stop long enough to take a deep breath every day. Daily life just leaves us plain weary. Being prepared & organized can allow a hectic life to run a little more smoothly....thereby making it easier for the modern day P31W to maintain a demeanor of peace & not one of anxiousness. I do want to say that busyness is not a good thing. It's very hard to "Be Still & Know He is God" when we are running around with chickens with our heads cut off. We are rarely still...therefore we rarely listen (truly listen) to Our Father. Our relationship with Him often has a vast chasm merely because of this lack of time to abide in the Lord, & if our Spiritual life suffers it can only be assumed that other relationships suffer as well. How often does your family simply take a quiet evening at home, sitting down to dinner with no rush to be off doing something else? How often do your children get a quiet day at home to simply play & take a good nap? There is no condemnation here, only a desire that we be aware of how truly busy we stay. We cannot be of calm temperament (not a long-term peaceful nature) when we are always in a state of rush. I know that paychecks must be earned, that children benefit from sports, & that being involved in various activities can build character, but the real nitty-gritty truth is that we benefit far greater from true focus on our Father & from quality, well-spent family time.
Looking beyond physical preparedness, I would venture to say that the P31W must also be ready for the Spiritual & Emotional seasonal changes that occur within her life & the lives of her loved ones. Marriages (even good ones) go through highs & lows. Children go through difficult developmental stages. Families endure painful stretching & growing pains. A godly woman, prepared by maintaining & pursuing her faith, guides & supports her family through these times. She better equipped to maintain a state of peace throughout these trying moments.
Application:
Work towards being physically prepared for the busyness of life. Strive to cut out unnecessary extras that make life more hectic than it ought to be. Pin up a calendar that lists all obligations of the week, make menus, buy ahead, etc. Endeavor towards maintaining a demeanor of peace so that it might radiate to your loved ones.
Pray about hard times to come, the burdens your spouse bears, the years of questioning or rebellion your children might face...prepare yourself to be their support & confidant by seeking out scripture that will help in these times.
No comments:
Post a Comment