Proverbs 31:13-16, Day 2

She selects wool and flax, Proverbs 31:13

Close your eyes and imagine with me… WAIT! Don’t close your eyes. You won’t be able to read along…. but do imagine with me.

It’s 350 B.C. You dress in your traveling robe and fasten your sturdy sandals at your ankles. You secure your worn, leather money bag to the braided rope around your waist. You grab a woven basket, draping the handle over your left arm as you head out to the market. 

Approaching town, you reach the first tents, people hawking their wares and trying to draw you in. But you know from experience that while their brightly colored blankets might seem the way to go, they are woven from poor quality wool that scratches your children’s tender skin. The blankets fall apart after a single season of use. These outliers sell cheap wares, the mega-store of their day.

You forge ahead, pressing deeper into the market. Wanting only the best, you ignore the noise, the pressing crowd and the chaos, determined to accomplish your goal. You select the finest wool and flax for your family. As you head home with your purchases, you start designing beautiful blankets and robes in your mind.

To select. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines select as “carefully choose as being the best or most suitable.” 

Carefully choose.

The best.

Oh my friends, that is so hard. How does a mother choose what’s good for her family, much less carefully choose the best? Between soccer, baseball, gymnastics, scouts, church activities and downtime, the menu of options is so wide. Which books should they read? Which are unsuitable?

When my kids were younger, options tended to overwhelm me. At one point, because my older son thrived, I forced our younger son to take piano lessons for several years. He hated every lesson and practice session.  

I used the "cookie cutter" approach to parenting, making both my boys participate in piano, while she carefully chose the best for hers. I sometimes give in to peer pressure and societal expectations when making choices for mine. I can forget that each one of my kids is uniquely and wonderfully made with a specific plan and a purpose (Psalm 139:14, Jeremiah 29:11). What works for one does not necessarily work for another.

God creatively designs each family. As the Proverbs 31 woman carefully selected the wool and flax she used, God carefully selects the members of our family. Each personality offers something no one else can give. Woven together by the hands of a loving Father, each family makes a beautiful tapestry. Every family is unique and special. Rather than complain when personalities clash, let’s choose to rejoice in the beautiful family He chose to give. 

To go deeper, meditate on these verses:

• Psalm 127: 3 (NLT), “Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him.”
• John 16:21, “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.”
• James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Consider these questions:

What unique “characters” has God placed in your family?

Instead of thinking about the tension caused by personality clashes, consider how the differences among your family members add to its overall beauty?

What colorful thread does each family member add to your tapestry?

Pray to God:

Ask him to reveal new truths about your family.
Ask him to show you where your attitude needs to improve.

Ask God to guide you to make the best choices for your family.

Please let me know how I can pray for you. After you leave a comment, be sure to visit the other bloggers in this series:

13 Bloggers, 13 topics, One Great God.

• Using Skills to Contribute to Family/2 better than 1 

• The Fear of the Lord/ Satisfied by Love

• Using time wisely/Blessed Beyond Measure

• Taking care of needy/ Shadow Wonder

• Using money wisely/Jennifer Sikora 

• Keeping an eye on home/Just a Glimpse

• She can laugh at the days ahead/ Faith Filled Food for Moms

• Clothed in strength and dignity/One thing I’ve Learned

• Taking care of others/ 2 savvy gals

• Being Creative/A Patchwork Mommy

• Bringing Variety to Family/ Karen Dawkins

• Extending your Hand to the Poor/ Women’s Fellowship House

• Organization/Teaching what is Good

Love,