Proverbs 31

Categories Homemaking

I take pictures of my toilet

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I do.

You don’t believe me?

Here’s proof:

back of toilet bowl

My toilet had been running continuously, so I set out to replace the flapper.

Flapper replaced, I filled the tank (sans the space taken up by my Dorothy Lynch dressing bottles of water) with water and added food coloring.

Toilet bowl with blue dye

Unfortunately, the blue food dye quickly leaked into the bowl, indicating that my fix had NOT solved the problem.

So I disassembled the toilet again and did some troubleshooting.

Maybe it’s that hard water deposit on the what’sit there.

My Xacto knife came out and I scraped the deposit off.

I refilled the tank and added red dye this time.

back of toilet bowl

Nope. That wasn’t it either.

Then I broke the ceramic urn thing I keep on the back of my toilet.

So I super glued it back together.

Then I super glued a ceramic figurine I’d broken months ago back together.

Then I discovered that I’d super glued my fingers together.

Xacto knives are great for removing excess glue from random surfaces–but be careful when removing excess glue from fingers.

Postscript: My pastor preached out of Proverbs 31 this Sunday–and I can’t help but think of Mrs. 31 as I go about my not-always-routine day-to-day tasks. Did Mrs. 31 ever have to deal with a toilet that just won’t be fixed? I know Mrs. 31 wouldn’t leave half of her dishes over to the next day. But then again, Mrs. 31 didn’t have to spend 8 (or 10) hours at work each day, did she? I vacillate between inadequacy and pride as I compare myself. Which completely misses the point, I remind myself. FEAR GOD, Rebekah. That’s what make you a Ms. 31 (not whether or not you leave dishes on the counter or succeed in fixing your toilet.)

Categories Family & Friends, Thankfulness

Proverbs 31 Woman

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Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

Mom and Dad looking at one anotherMom and Dad looking at a cardMom and Dad holding hands

She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.

Mom making breakfastA meal prepared by MomMom preparing a Christmas buffet
A pie Mom madeSome of Mom's canning

She considers a field and buys it;
From her profits she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.

Mom's seedlingsMom's gardenPeppers from Mom's garden
Mom teaching us to play hopscotchMom rolling newspaper into firewood logsMom on her bike

She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

Mom quilting for her and DadMom cutting out a quiltMom quilting a wedding gift for her son
The girls in Mom-made dressesThe kids in Mom-made outfitsMom in a dress made by herself

Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.
Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.

Mom sweeping up during renovationsMom looking over her offspringMom singing with Dad
Mom and Timothy readingMom with Grace on her shoulderMom and Grace hugging

Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women have done well,
But you excel them all.”
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.

The family at Mom and Dad's 25th Wedding AnniversaryMom and Dad kissing while the kids look away in horror
The family at EasterThe family at Grand Teton National Park

Proverbs 31:10-31

Categories Faith, Reflections

Made great by each other

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I’m a woman. I love stories of strong women, of brave women, of women who made a difference, of women who achieved some level of fame. Occasionally, the question enters my head–Would any of
these women have reached the status they have if it weren’t for their husbands? Maybe they just married into fame. Their marriage made the difference.

Now, before you get scared that my espoused feminism has gone down the drain, let me describe a few truths that I have come to when thinking about this question.

After God made Eve from Adam’s rib in the Garden of Eden, Adam woke up. Just as he had named every other living creature, he now named Eve–“She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” (Genesis 2:23) There is no doubt in my mind about the implications of this Scripture. No woman can claim that she does not need man. No, in the beginning, we were named by a man–called
Woman, because we came from man. We cannot forget our origins. In the same way, man can never claim that he does not need woman. He must remember our origins. “And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.'” (Genesis 2:18) God saw that man was incomplete, lacking a helper. And so God made a helper–not the same as him but comparable to him, his partner but not his head.

A woman I have admired for years, studying her life and yearning for her influence, is the Proverbs 31 woman. But listen to what the Bible says about her and her husband. “The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.” (Proverbs 31:11-12) And again: “Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.” (Proverbs 31:23) This woman is not great because of her husband–not to say that her husband isn’t great. Instead, these verses seem to say that her husband is great, at least in part, because she is trustworthy and she does good. “They” say that behind every good man is a great woman–and I have little doubt. The Proverbs 31 woman by her actions and words has made her husband great and respected. I find it almost ironic to read the last few verses: “Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also and he praises her: ‘Many daughters have done
well, but you excel them all.’ Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her
in the gates.” (Proverbs 31:28-31) This woman who by her deeds has paved the way for her husband to have a place in the city gates, now is praised in the city gates by her husband. “Let her own
works praise her in the gates.

Great men and great women, they go together hand in hand. Which one creates the other I cannot say. But I must say that the greatness of a great woman brings her husband honor, and the greatness of a great man gives his wife praise. That’s the way God made it.