Life Lessons | Proverbs 31:25

Strength and honor are her clothing, and she shall rejoice in time to come.

When we think of strength, many times we associate it with physical ability. But I believe this verse is not talking about the physical strength of Mrs. Proverbs 31, but the amount of fortitude she had within her spirit. In fact, some of the physically weakest women I know are the strongest women I know. With God's help, they have pushed through adversity and are an example of fortitude and strength.

Two women that immediately come to my mind are my mother and grandmother. They were both short- mom was about 5 feet and barely one inch but she proudly claimed that inch as hers, and Little Grandma didn't even hit 5 feet... hence why we called her Little Grandma- yet these two women were stronger spiritually than anyone I knew. When things were not going well, they went right to the Lord and remained strong in their faith that He would vindicate their cause and bring them through the other side in even better shape than they were to begin with.

And even though they were two of the smallest women I knew, no one dared cross their paths. They did not let their size determine their confidence.

Honor reflects the integrity of this woman. Her values, her faith, her conduct not only before people but in the privacy of her own home, and her honesty all fall under the category of honor.

The fact that this woman is clothed in strength and honor shows that these qualities could be evidently seen on her without her having to say that they were there.

Because of her strength and honor, this woman did not have to worry about anything coming back to haunt her- a conversation that should not have happened, wondering if anyone saw her come out of that movie, not being able to look someone in the eye because she isn't sure how much of her comment they heard. She had nothing to worry about so she could wear a smile and rejoice about the times to come.

As hard as I try to live up to Mrs. Proverbs 31, I always miss the mark in one area or another. Some days, she and I are really close friends. Other days I want to ignore  her altogether because the picture I have of her in my mind is a beautiful woman without the modern day luxuries that I have floating through life checking off her list of to-do's, waking up early, exercising, working in her garden, running her own business, making her own clothes and the clothes for her family, and never getting tired (all of the things I don't do!).

I often have to remind myself that she is there to be an example for me to strive to be like, someone that I can look at as a growth chart for myself. One day, I hope to reach the measurement of Mrs. Proverbs 31. But for today, I will just continue to work my hardest to "grow" just a little closer to being the full sized woman that God wants me to be. This is what keeps me motivated and moving. I don't ever want to find myself satisfied with where I am.