Proverbs 31 Woman–Making the Grade

This week I canned green beans.  

For the younger set who may be reading this, I filled glass jars with snapped beans, placed a tin lid on the top, added water, and processed the containers in a pressure canner. When they were finished, I set them out to cool and listened for their ping as each jar sealed.  

A Facebook friend posted that she and her teenager canned pickled beets this week. The daughter said the little noise each lid makes as it seals is the most satisfying sound she knows. I agree. There’s something about being part of the process of providing for your family which nurtures the soul.

 When I first married, the example of the Proverbs 31 woman hung over my head like a sword. The lady rose early, cared for her servants, provided clothing for her children, made sure everyone was fed, bought property, sold goods, and spent her nights at the spinning wheel. Reading about her sacrifices was exhausting.

 But as time passed I realized there’s something of the biblical woman in almost every mother I encounter. Imprinted upon our hearts is the gift of caring for others and few individuals handle those responsibilities as well as mothers do. The nice thing is we all accomplish the task differently. The woman who drives to the store twice a week to keep her teenagers fed knows the time and energy involved. The woman who watches sales to outfit her kids with quality clothing understands the meaning of commitment. For me, filling jars with various food items is something I’ve always done—not doing it would be like forgetting to breathe.

 Whether you clip coupons, car pool, job share, or make jam, take comfort knowing you are fulfilling the role God called you to. Each task may look different on the outside, but it achieves its goal on the inside, right near the heart.

 Proverbs 31:10-31 finishes with these words: “Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.”