Hello My Readers,
You’ve all witnessed how
my journey has evolved me into an improved and better version of myself, though
not easy, it sure continues to be worth it.
This journey has taken
me to places I never imagined nor thought possible. Though it may seem that the
road has been an single path, it really has become several, each leading to a
different part of me that needed some attention.
One of the roads that my
journey has taken me on… has been my walk with God.
I was raised in a Catholic
church my entire life,so I assumed I had a great understanding of our Heavenly
Father.
I attended mass every
Sunday. I sat in the pews with my Mother, my Grandmother & my Great
Grandmother; all who wore veils on their heads, recited verses and prayed. I did years of catechism, memorizing
scriptures and verses in hopes that at the age of 9, I’d elevate to the next
“level”…that level being my First Communion.
When I stood before these
three generations of strong, faithful Catholic women and recited the “Aposotle’s
Creed”, they lit up with such pride & could not wait to see me in my mini
bride’s dress, white dainty gloves & veil as I stepped before God and
accept my first communion.
Truth be told those were
just words to me & I didn’t really under stand what the “Creed” was and
what it meant.
When my ex husband and I
were married, I hadn’t received my confirmation and not only had he not but he also
hadn’t received his First Communion; therefore, before we could get married in
a Catholic church (*My Mother’s dream) we had to attend “classes” …translation…catechism for adults. We attended
classes faithfully and again, it was in hopes to be elevated to THAT next “Level”…being
married in “The Church”. (*by the way, classes were on Sunday and conflicted
with the football schedule…needless to say, the man was NOT happy with that).
In those classes, most
of us were couples about to be married so the instructor touched a bit on the
Proverbs 31 woman , however, explained no more than that she was the “ultimate
woman” and that we, as wives, should
model ourselves after her.
Once again, they were
just words and didn’t resonate to mean anything to me.
Today, 35 years later, from
my first communion to being divorced… I am now having a better understanding of
it all.
Being divorced was
something I never expected of my life…but it is what it is. So, instead of
beating myself up on what went wrong ( and… boy did I)…I am choosing to learn.
My walk with God has
been the best teaching I have ever experienced. He is showing me where I may
gain more knowledge and wisdom to insure that those mistakes, that happened in
my marriage, will never happen again.
One of my lessons has
been the studying of the
Proverbs 31 woman; the actual study…. verse by verse, word by word. Also, what
it truly means to be a God-Fearing woman and to be equally yoked with your
mate. It truly has been enlightening and I am so excited to see the changes
happening within me.
I came across the blog
entry below that gives a layman’s understanding of the Proverbs 31 Woman.
It was written by the blogger’s husband (Whom
she was so proud to brag about…as wives,
we should always speak of our husbands with praise…yes, even when they annoy us
to no end…but I’ll get more into that as I further my education on this
subject)
Hope you enjoy the piece
as much as I did and leave this blog with a better understanding of who the
Proverbs 31 woman is…who truly is
Priceless.
As Always Mi Gente:
Be Inspiring, Be
Inspired
A God Fearing
Woman by Zack Hale
We have called the woman in
Proverbs 31 a virtuous woman because that is what religion has called her for
many years, when all this does is sell that woman short. A virtuous woman is
defined by what she does not who she is. A God fearing woman is a woman that is
defined by who she is not what she does. A God fearing woman has virtuous
outward characteristics as a result of being the bride of Christ. A God fearing
woman is woman with a heart for God. This is the Proverbs 31 woman. God is
about starting on the inside and working outward; not starting outward and
working in. Jesus said it best when he said that no one puts a new patch on an
old garment. We try to patch our lives with new habits and characteristics when
in fact we are still the old person on the inside. All this will do is tear us
apart like a new unshrunk patch on an old garment. The woman in Proverbs is a
woman that has the characteristics that we read about only because she is a
woman after the heart of God; and not a woman that has patched her outward self
together to make herself try to look good.
I believe this woman is the same woman that Solomon is chasing after and wooing
in Song of Solomon. He had hundreds of other women that he could have fallen in
love with but he chose her. He chose her because she was beautiful from the
inside out (God fearing) instead of her beauty that is on the outside that is
trying to cover up the inside. In short her love for God is what made her
beautiful to him. In Song of Solomon, the king is only able to see the beauty
of his true love and describe her outward beauty because her inward self was
not mucking it up.
Proverbs begins with a seven-verse prologue that tells us the purpose of these
writings. And in chapter one verse seven we get the theme of the entire book,
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all knowledge and wisdom.” Throughout
the rest of the book we get snippets of what it means to fear the Lord. We are
even told throughout what a God fearing woman looks like. In chapter seven we
are shown her antithesis. We are shown the attributes and characteristics of
what a woman that does not fear God looks like and the effect this type of
woman will have on others. Many times her outward beauty and her positive
attributes will cover up the lack of her love for God but in the end this is
always revealed.
Finally in chapter 31 we have the culmination of what outward effects and
characteristics of a woman that fears God looks like. The writings in Proverbs
end where they started. Chapter one verse seven gives us the command to fear
the Lord and the last chapter shows a picture of a woman who fulfills this
command. Chapter 31, verse 30 shows us this and also stresses the point again
about it being a matter of the heart and not a matter of outward
characteristics. No woman can live every day fulfilling the descriptions set
forth in chapter 31. That is why the writer of Proverbs begins and ends with
showing us that it is a heart for God that in turn is reflected in our
lifestyle and not a lifestyle that is trying (but failing) to please God. This
type of lifestyle (chapter seven woman) will never be able to convince or force
that person’s heart to desire God.
Proverbs 31
Verse 10 Cannot be bought out
Verse 11 Trustworthy/Dependable
Verse 12 Consistent
Verse 13 Hard worker/Does not complain
Verse 14 Others are always glad to see her
Verse 15 Does not waste time
Verse 16 Thrifty/good steward
Verse 17 Improves herself
Verse 18 Insightful
Verse 19 Utilizes her talents
Verse 20 Giving/Generous
Verse 21 Prepared
Verse 22 Modest/Respectful
Verse 23 Makes a good name for her family/allows husband to be her leader
Verse 24 Ministers to others not just her family
Verse 25 Happy with her life
Verse 26 Quick to listen/Slow to speak
Verse 27 Rears Godly children
Verse 28 Encouraging
Verse 29 Separates her lifestyle unto God (not just her heart)
Verse 30 Not vain
Verse 31 Does good in secret
