Becoming a Proverbs 31 Woman (Or at Least Trying...)

Hello Ladies and Gents!

I often struggle with the word "feminist" - growing up I was always told I could be whatever I wanted to be. Being a girl did not, would not, could not, hinder me from becoming all that I wanted to be. Fast forward to my high school days (where I spent 95% of my time from the age of 14 to 18) I was fortunate enough to go to a wonderful school - an all girls school to be precise- where it was again embedded in me that nothing could stop me from achieving all of my goals on the sole basis of my gender. I have always believed in equality for men and women in the workplace, I love my rights to vote and own property and with all my heart hope that one day women can be treated with the same dignity and respect in the business world as men are. In fact I have seen with my own eyes the leaps and bounds that have been overcome in the insurance industry- an industry that was once dominated by men is now functioning successfully with MANY women in charge, but that does not mean we don't have a long way to go. But here is my struggle with the word "feminist"... do I not also have to the right to be a wife and mother one day? If I choose to not work any longer because I want my sole focus to be my family life, should I be penalized or looked down upon by other women because I've chosen a path that they might not agree with? I think not. 

I've chosen to share a passage from the Bible that has always struck a cord in me. Proverbs 31:10-31  Now, I am not going to go through EVERY single verse here, or try to give a biblical explanation of things - I am simply sharing with you all how this passage has affected my life and how it might help show you that you CAN be and do all that you want to be and do. I feel that this passage embodies feminism in its true form of equality without bringing the negative connotation that it often comes with.

For those of you out there who have no idea what I am talking about - the book of Proverbs in the Bible has a distinct chapter on a woman who all in all is pretty freaking awesome. You may have seen or heard some quotes from the chapter or even without realizing are living your life quite closely to how this awesome woman does. Click here for the short read ;)  Proverbs 31:10-31 (That's chapter 31, verses 10 through 31)

For the rest of you who know what I am talking about, you know the difficulty of actually trying to achieve living this way, but if we break it down I think it's completely possible to achieve the greatness of this woman. Here we go!...

Verse 10
...Who can find a woman of worth? Far beyond jewels is her value...

Right off the bat we have something inspirational! A woman of worth, she's valued more than jewels.. but why? What makes her so valuable, how is she so precious that not even the cost of pricey jewels can match her worth? **(important side note: she's a human being and I am pretty certain that the author was not implying that she is worth a monetary value)**   I will say this, I know damn well that I am worth a helluva lot! Let's move on so we can see where her worth and value stem from... 


Verses 13 - 14, 19, 22 and 24

13. She seeks out wool and flax and weaves with skillful hands. 14. Like a merchant fleet, she secures her provisions from afar.... 19. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle.... 22. She makes her own *coverlets; fine linen and purple are her clothing 24. She makes garments and sells them, and stocks the merchants with belts.

Wow. Just wow. The woman seeks out her materials and spins it into threads, she runs her business and not only that but then she takes to the sewing machine and MAKES her *bedspreads?! Well let me tell you - I have never spun my own thread or sewn anything other than the hem on a skirt, but here is how I have interpreted this and brought a modern twist to it:  Go out there and get what you need to make a living! This is a married woman with children we are talking about, yet here she is taking the serious amount of time to build a business from scratch.. we see more of this in the next verse....  (side bar: purple clothing at this time was a sign up hierarchy and royalty.. so this was not a woman who necessarily HAD to work and make a living, she CHOOSES to do so fervently..) #BossBabe


Verses 16, 17 and 18

16. She picks out a field and acquires it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17. She girds herself with strength; she exerts her arms with vigor. 18. She enjoys the profit from her dealings; and her lamp is never extinguished at night

Well hello there.. she bought land, and with the profits (probably from her cool threads and cloths that she sold) she PLANTS A FREAKING VINEYARD!.. oh wait, what's that? She also ENJOYS the profits from her dealings and her lamp (aka: the light which shines into the late nights that she works) never goes out? How can this be so? We're talking about a lady from the old testament of the Bible.. this was not a time where women would work and and make money! FALSE. She could and she DID! She works hard and is a light for all to follow.  Also.. she has a vineyard... I wouldn't mind being her thus far (who doesn't want wine always flowing!?) 


Verses 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29

25. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and laughs at the days to come. 26. She opens her mouth in wisdom; kindly instruction is on her tongue. 27. She watches over the affairs of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband, too, praises her: 29. “Many are the women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all.”

This is probably my favorite part of this chapter... this passage truly personifies what it is to be a woman (at least to me) ; we are strong in many ways (physically, emotionally, spiritually, and pretty much any other "-ally" you can think of) She is DIGNIFIED, my goodness, I am not sure that many women these days knows what this means, she knows that she deserves respect and so she emulates the things in her life that will gain her the respect she is owed- as a woman, as a human being. She is not LAZY, she works HARD and on top of that she handles everything that needs to be done in her home. Her children and her husband understand how valuable she is to their household and respect her greatly! My FAVORITE part "She laughs at the days to come".. no she's not making a joke- SHE'S HAPPY, genuinely, truly, sincerely HAPPY! Do you know why she is happy? Let's move on to the last two verses I'd like to review...


Verses 30 and 31 
30. Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31.  Acclaim her for the work of her hands, and let her deeds praise her at the city gates

So you see, she is happy because she fears the Lord.. now, this is not "oh my gosh, God is going to smite me" fear. This is reverent awe, a faith in a God who loves and in His goodness [all the good things He gives] she finds gladness. Moving on... I like to think I am charming, but genuinely so, not to be deceitful in any way.  I prefer to be sincere in all that I do. I know that when I get older I won't look the way I do now (granted I do my best to keep fit and all that stuff, but we all know that time eventually takes it's toll on us) but I do pray that all I do on this earth - that every heart I touch, every person I meet, every hand I extend, is seen by the Lord, and when I die and (GOD WILLING) get to those pearly gates, I hope St. Peter says "Well, you weren't perfect but neither was I, welcome to your Father's kingdom princess" 

Now, after all of that, you can't tell me this woman is not awesome. She's basically the Wonder Woman of the Old Testament! She does it ALL! Wife, mother, employer, business owner, worker- you name it she does it, and she does it all with Grace and Dignity! Also, this woman has an exceptional perspective on what the Proverbs 31 woman looks like today, and it's a really great read as well! 

This, THIS is the woman I hope to be one day. A woman of great honor, who is loved and respected, who is treated EQUALLY in all spaces. A woman who loves and cares for her husband and children. A woman who works with all of her might, speaks kindly, gives freely from her heart, is a light when someone feels lost, and loves the Lord above all else. 

I am certain that over the years I have come a long way, I know I have a long way to go, and I am on the way to having most of, if not all, the virtues of the Proverbs 31 Woman... 

**PLEASE NOTE: This has been written from my perspective and view. Please respect my opinions as I respect all others. Many thanks!**