Today I was looking at Proverbs 31, one of my favorite–and convicting–passages of Scripture. The topic covered is the quality and character of a virtuous woman. It always challenges me and today I was reading the chapter in The Message, a more modern paraphrase of the Bible. Several phrases stood out to me: “She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.” Some of my most important “work” has been completed, the raising of my children. There were many days I wondered if my efforts were making any difference, and yet as they have entered adulthood I can see that my “work” has been highly worthwhile. And yes, there were days where day blended into night and my day was not concluded. Now that that part of my life, while not necessarily complete, doesn’t occupy the majority of my days, I have tried to find other “worthy” work. I am incredibly blessed to continue being a homemaker, and I have to say my days are still filled with things like experimental cooking (thanks to my gracious, polite husband), sewing whatever I want, working as an election official, and supporting my husband in his “real” job, the one that pays the bills, and his volunteer job as chairman of our county’s Republican Party. The next phrase leads into that idea exactly: “Her husband is greatly respected when he deliberates with the city fathers”. I am always extremely proud of my husband, and he is well respected by every group to which he belongs or with whom he works. The last, and most difficult one to live up to, says: “When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly”. Oh my, that IS hard to live up to! I would hope that, with age and experience, I have learned to some extent that I need to always think before I speak, and to do so with kindness and not criticism. I am so thankful that God still wants to refine my life and that He isn’t going to give up on making me the virtuous woman He wants me to be.
“From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” Psalm 113:3
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23 & 24
Faith Through the Journey 
Comments on: "A Worthy Woman" (2)
You are such a beautiful woman inside and out. I am enjoying your blog so much and am seeing many qualities in you that I hope to someday possess. Nathan and I were blessed to be able to attend Lindsay’s wedding, and what I witnessed there made it so evident to me that Lindsay was raised with incredible values. As I watched your family all I could do was hope and dream that my family would be as strong.
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Natasha, thank you so much for your kind words. You are doing the most important work in the world, a job that only you can do. By loving your children and pouring your life into theirs, there WILL come a day when they will rise up and call you blessed!
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