May 15, 2020
How do you measure up to an ideal, Proverbs 31 wife? Her husband trusts her for the good assets that she is to him. She works hard with her hands, providing for the needs of her family. She provides food and clothing for her whole household, including those who worked for her. Her husband is also well known and respected, and she brings him honor in all that she does. Along with her business and home management, this woman is giving! She used her time, talent, and resources to bless others. As you read this description, you get the idea of someone who understood how to put the needs of others before her own. She fears the Lord, and her family and all who know her praise her.
I feel like I’m always falling short. I couldn’t fathom getting everything done that is listed in those verses. Of course she gets up early and stays up late. How else would you accomplish all of that in a day! Sometimes I have to take a deep breath and remind myself that the woman spoken of in these verses is an ideal. She is a goal to strive towards. I am human.
We all have those days, "Jonah days" as they were referred to in the Anne of Green Gables Series. Another book refers to them as terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days. Nothing goes right, we've lashed out at our kids or others, and the house is a bigger mess than when we started the day. We get to the end of the day feeling like we accomplished nothing. Worse, when we get to the end of feeling like we are nothing! I've found these days are often because I refuse to take a break. I'm always "on". However, we need those breaks. Everyone needs a day where they just let things go. Let the 10-year-old make grilled cheese for lunch. Have ice cream sundaes for dinner on Sunday. Eat cereal for all three meals. Leave the blanket fort in the living room, the clothes unwashed and the dishes in the sink. There will be another day to tackle that. Enjoy the messy kids and unhealthy food, and don't worry. Admit to your kids, "Mommy doesn't feel good." They know how much you care about them when they don't feel good, and you might be surprised by their thoughtful care of you. You will make it through this awful day, and have a new day to start over tomorrow.
I don't always get everything done on my list. Sometimes this is the result of a hungry, needy 3-month-old. Sometimes it's my own laziness and lack of motivation. There are other times that things come up to interrupt my day. Whatever the reason, it doesn't mean that I'm forever a failure! Thankfully, God's mercies are new every morning. If I have a bad day, I ask the Lord (and anyone else I've hurt) to forgive me, and I start fresh in the new day.
I've learned that most of the things that keep me from my "to do list" are usually people related. My baby needs my attention, my daughter needs my time, help, or encouragement, my husband needs assistance with a project (which was probably my idea), someone else needs help dealing with a situation. No matter what the interruption, people are more important than my list. Also, I am one of those people. Maybe I just need a day for me. There will be another day to do dishes or wash clothes or sweep floors. The relationships I have with people are more important than making a lot of money. Sometimes I have to give up something good to do something better. I still schedule my day and have check boxes of things to accomplish. I still plan to be productive with my time. If it doesn't work, I try again the next day. Some days I intentionally leave blank. A day with nothing to do can be a relaxing feeling. These can also be days I actually accomplish quite a bit because I'm not stressing over all I have to do! Care about the people in your life, and most of the other stuff will fall into place.