Recently, a friend said she thought I was the epitome of a Proverbs 31 woman. As a Southern lady, I’m certain my response emitted the most appropriate level of sincere gratefulness, despite the fact that I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about! (Because Southerners talk in a unique dialect, and speak as slow as molasses, we’re considered to be ignorant. Not so! Hopelessly naïve, perhaps, because we believe everyone is our friend until proven otherwise, and then Katy bar the door!) So this Sunday school class “facilitator” (I’ve never professed to be a “teacher”) accepted the compliment, but couldn’t get to the Word fast enough for clarification.
What I found was not only astounding, but very humbling. I visualize a Proverbs 31 woman as being an amalgamation (see, Southerners do know big words) of Maria von Trapp (a married, former nun, vs 10), Martha Stewart (vs 13), The Barefoot Contessa (vs 15), Wonder Woman (vs 17), Mother Teresa (vs 20), Donna Karan ( vs 22), Sandra Day O’Connor (vs 26), and Ruth Graham (vs 28)—a totally unreachable standard. I knew I was far from being a Proverbs 31 woman; the best I could muster was as a “wannabe”. But just wanting to be something isn’t enough, because you must be intentional on your journey.
So that will be the focus of these blogs … a constant striving for balance in my daily life, because after all, there is a huge difference between that domesticated Titus 2 woman and the Proverbs 31 dynamo. But since the Women’s Movement in the 80s, some of us have lost our identity in the scramble just to survive, and it’s time we reconnect with the authentic woman within.
We’ll discuss all the messiness we call our lives, and learn new ways of loving our husbands and children (and perhaps even our enemies, “bless their hearts”). And for those of us who are business women, we can share our fears about the workplace, what motivates us in leadership, and what gives us hope for tomorrow in our troubled world. So whether you’re a frazzled stay-at-home mom; a frenetic executive; a whirling dervish juggling a job, children, and home (and if you’re a single mom, you get extra points); or a retired “lady of leisure” (who has found that you’re busier now than when you were in the workforce)—all of us are called to serve—in our homes, churches, schools, and communities. So what brings you satisfaction in your service above self, and how do you keep all the plates spinning?
I’ll tell you my experiences, and you respond if I’m anywhere even close to your life lessons, which should make for interesting dialog. I write with a twinge of Southern humor, for which some may need a translator, but that’s why we have Google!
Remember: We’re in this thing together. So, if the good Lord’s willin’ and the Creek don’t rise, I’ll see y’all again real soon, ya hear?