These are based on a chapter in the Bible, Proverbs 31.
Description of a Worthy Woman: Proverbs 31:10-31
10 An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.
14 She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15 She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And portions to her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.
18 She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
20 She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
26 She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29 "Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all."
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.
THING #1: I trust her.
Proverbs 31:11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
Trust is a powerful and necessary thing in our lives. It is our stability. It is the basis of all our relationships. I wholeheatedly trust my wife Katie. And I don't do it blindly. She's earned my trust with her love, kindness, and devotion. Every day she works tirelessly for our family (or tirefully, full of tiredness), focusing on our needs. And I love her for it. I know that even if she disagrees with me, she respects me, and she won't break my trust.
THING #2: She is so sweet and good to me.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
Sure, we have our arguments, but I mostly just see her kindness and goodness to me. Even this morning, she gave me a gift of two DVDs from cartoons that I like (I love certain cartoons). The ways that she loves me and is good to me warms my heart.
THING #3: She works so hard for us.
Proverbs 31:13-16
13 She looks for wool and flax
And works with her hands in delight.
14 She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15 She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And portions to her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
It's true. She works hard. She bakes and cans and freezes meals, all to save us money and feed her family. She shops like crazy, getting amazing deals (I think it's been over a dozen times now that grocery stores have paid her to take things, so to speak). And she even finds ways to make money for our household, including being very thorough with our taxes (kind of begs the question what do I do, but that's a different topic). =^)
THING #4: She is hospitable and charitable.
Proverbs 31:20 She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
I think her serving heart has always attracted me to her, and it hasn't gone away. When I met Katie, she was leading two peer Bible studies with single women and volunteering with Junior High students, as well as giving financially. None of that has changed. Now I watch her minister to our children, lead a children's class at church, and lead in other ways with her peers (as well as support leaders around her). Her heart to give with her time and our money stirs me consistently.
THING #5: She is prepared.
Proverbs 31:21-25
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
She prepares with food in the pantry, with equipment for various circumstances, and even the details like making sure all our little ones have the clothes they need for the upcoming season. She also prepares by helping organize the details of our budget. Although our future might be the source of a little of our worry, she really helps us mitigate it with planning and preparation.
THING #6: She is beautiful and confident.
Proverbs 31:22 She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Shouldn't this be #1? =^)
Well, it's not #1 in the Bible, so I listed them in the Biblical order. Katie cares about herself, her health and how she looks. She is beautiful. She doesn't let it stress her out. She leaves it in its proper place of caring without worrying.
THING #7: She makes me better than I would otherwise be.
Proverbs 31:23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
I might be known in some gates, but regardless of that, she makes me better than I would be without her. She completes me, supports me, and is a gateway for me to get to know new people and new experiences.
THING #8: She is moral, dignified, and full of integrity.
Proverbs 31:25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
Strength and dignity are definitely her clothing. She is moral and full of integrity. She pushes me to desire as much moral integrity in my life as possible, and I love her for it! Just observing her convictions of the Spirit convicts me and helps drive me forward spiritually. Speaking of dignified...
THING #9: She is a wise counselor.
Proverbs 31:26 She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
I love to ask her advice and listen to her wisdom. Even if it just gives me ideas and isn't a direct answer, it gets me thinking. I heard that John Adams was a great man because of the wisdom of his wife, Abigail. While I am not the President and not the primary person responsible for the foundation of our nation, I get it. I understand the wisdom that comes from a wonderful woman, and I cherish mine.
THING #10: She is a good mother.
Proverbs 31:28-29
28 Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29 "Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all."
She loves our little rugrats. Sure, they drive her nuts, but she gives to them daily and loves on all of them. That love and compassion warms me and inspires me.
THING #11: She loves my Lord.
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
Doing Bible studies and prayer time with her every day is easy to do, because she loves my Lord with all her being, and that sets my heart on fire.
To Katie my love,
Happy Valentines Day.
Your husband,
Ed
Posts
Awwwww. Thanks, Babe. I got all teary when I read this, but I gotta admit I don't think I deserve most of this praise!
ReplyDeleteNot a word of that surprised me! Very, very nice Ed. Love ya Katie!
ReplyDelete