How to be a Modern Proverbs 31 Woman
Infertility is teaching me so much about myself & challenging me in more ways as each year passes. Although I would choose the busy, frantic life with babies crying over this any day, I have no choice but to choose the bright side of things in what is my present. That bright side is : I have time. I got caught up in the idleness that the loneliness brought by infertility creates. I got comfortable complaining about “why me” rather than asking “what now”. In search of some serotonin, I have found an identity that offers a pocket filled with peace of mind.
The heavy question I have always had for myself has been “who am I supposed to be if not a mom”. Not posing that dilemma necessarily with fears I will never be one, I fully trust in the Lords desire for this he has given me, but now… now what do I do? Until this happens, that is? One of my older posts about infertility & the journey we have been walking with it talks about how I am completely confident in knowing my identity through infertility. How it has defined me. You can read this here if you would like. Most people have an issue with letting it get the best of them, but I know full well that I would not be close to the woman I am today without it. Mainly flawed, but through infertility I have gained several more characteristics that I believe mirror Jesus. Compassion, vulnerability, & bravery. My identity outside of motherhood is being shaped every day in ways that will only make me a better caretaker for my future children.
This perspective that has been growing for me stems from getting down to the basics. The basics of being a Christian woman, especially in the world we live in today. Proverbs 31 is the tell all passage that outlines what it means to be a woman of God. Basic, yes, a needed reminder for everyone, absolutely. Once I was able to set aside the time God deserved, I was able to hear Him say - it’s so much simpler then what you are making it. It has been there right in front of me this whole time, but instead I have been looking at the world & what others around me are doing as my standard level of success.
This quiet time, setting my phone down - I recently wrote a story about how impactful the scroll stop has been - allowed me to hear God say “you are my daughter”. In days of constantly wondering who & what I am supposed to be, it has been right here. This is when I say “how can someone go through trials without Jesus…” I pray I can do my part in making sure this isn’t the case. For sure something I need to work on. Anyways… the only thing I am created to be is a daughter of God, everything else is a privilege & a path He will put me on.
It is a privilege to be a wife. It is a privilege to be a mother. It is a privilege to hold a career. We are not destined on this earth to swipe a time card or change diapers. Those are - YES PRIVILEGES - in ways we can bring glory to God, but they are not our sole purpose here. It is so much simpler then what we make it out to be sometimes. My natural ability to overcomplicate things made my daunting task of becoming a better human feel near impossible to even start. I mean, where do I begin? Hearing God give me my purpose made this so much more reachable. He has given us a tangible guide to what it is like being a woman of God.
Proverbs 31.
Being God’s daughter is laid out in Provers 31. If you are not familiar with this passage or need a brush up, here you go! Every day I started reading this was a day that I felt closer to God. I felt closer to living the way I am called to & closer to fulfilling my purpose here. After my devotions, I would jot down the basics of what this passage says. Each category, I would write one thing I could do that would make me a stronger Proverbs 31 woman in that day. One simple task or though.
Here are the categories & an example of something I wrote down for that day :
Faith… Reach out to 5 loved ones for prayer requests.
Marriage… Have dinner ready when Luke gets home.
Mothering… Go through my hormone oil trio.
Health… Track my carb intake.
Steward… Update our family budget.
Service… Pray for my youth group girls.
Industrious… Fulfill custom orders.
Home… Vacuum the main floor.
Time… Complete my to do list.
Beauty… Face mask & massage before bed.
These are daily tasks that some of you do without thinking, things that just NEED to get done. But they are all things that can bring Glory to God & represent a Proverbs 31 woman. It is so much simpler.
This may just be the most basic blog post you have ever read or something you do not relate to whatsoever. That is okay, I needed to write this for me. My time away from social media taught me what time can do. How it can change lives & how I need to be a better steward of it. I love seeing everyones updates on instagram & I love even more sharing our story there. It doesn’t have to go away completely, but I think getting down to the basics & making sure our time being implanted on social media is used to bring Him glory rather than just pull attention. I couldn’t be more grateful for this time I have had set aside.
