I’m a week late on this post. We’ve had sick kiddies in our household, and as you know, that can tend to put other things on hold when that happens. Its been a blessing in disguise because I honestly needed a little more time to think on this verse. I didn’t understand the meaning in it, or what I was supposed to learn. Maybe it jumps off the page to you. But it took a little longer for me. It was always one of those verses that I just sort of breezed past. But after praying on it and doing a little more research, I realized that I was wrong about this verse and it’s importance. I just didn’t really understand it at first.
The next verse is:
‘She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet.’ Proverbs 31:21
I believe this verse is saying a couple different things. First, she’s not afraid of the winter that is coming. Why? I believe it’s because she’s PREPARED. She is always looking ahead to the next season and preparing her home and family accordingly. She is ready for the snow and the harsh winter that might possibly be coming. She doesn’t need to be afraid because she is prepared for what the next season may bring.
How many times do we enter the next season in our lives scattered, nervous and anxious? I know I struggle with this sometimes. I just roll into the next season without really taking the time to truly PREPARE for it. This woman is not afraid. She looks ahead and gets her household ready for the next season. She’s likely getting winter clothing ready, sewing enough to keep them warm. Her children are growing and she sees the needs that they will have ahead of time. She isn’t overwhelmed by it. She isn’t dreading all the work to be done. She isn’t afraid of the storms that will likely come. She anticipates the cold, blistering winter that lies ahead and she prepares for it. The storms that come don’t take her by surprise because she is ready. And she doesn’t live in fear.
I struggle with fear. Sometimes, I fear the worst. Why do I do that? This woman doesn’t do that. She prepares for it, is ready for it, and probably doesn’t live in a spirit of dread while doing it.
But then it says that all of her household is clothed in scarlet, which I think speaks a lot about what kind of a wife and mother she is. I think that it means that she CARES. Not only does she care enough to prepare for the winter for her whole family with all the hard work that goes with that, but they are clothed in scarlet. which is a beautiful color. I could be wrong here, but I take this to mean that she cared enough to make sure that they all looked good. Not in a materialistic kind of way. Not in the showy kind of way. Not in the fake kind of way where she just wanted to keep up appearances. But because she CARED about them. She wanted them to look their best, with whatever means they had. She wanted her husband and children to feel proud in what they were wearing and to be blessed by it. She cared that they were put together before they left the house in the morning, and she worked hard to sew, do laundry and to prepare their things for them.
These two verses speak VOLUMES to the harmony that she created within her home. Her family doesn’t need to worry about the clothing they are going to wear. She is already on top of it before the winters come. They don’t even question whether or not they are going to have clothing on their backs. They are confident in her and know that each article of clothing that she carefully sews for them will be out of love, care and careful planning.
I’m not saying that we all need to become amazing seamstresses before this verse can apply. I am the FURTHEST from good seamstress. And I secretly envy those of you who can sew and create beautiful things in that way. But I do think we can all learn something from this verse, whether or not you can sew and create clothing. I think there is a lot to be said about creating harmony in our homes. There’s a peace that comes with preparation, hard work, and planning. And I think it’s really important to see the next season looming on the horizon and to gently start preparing for it. Not out of worry, but to get things in order so we can transition our families into whatever the next season of life may be for us. Clothing our families with confidence is more than about what they are actually wearing. But taking the time to care for what they look like, inside and out, and to cover them with beauty in our words, actions, hard work, and even in material things at times.
Being prepared and caring for our families in the day to day tasks, such as brushing their hair, is something that will go such a long way. As women and mothers, caring for our family is something that seems like an obvious topic of conversation. Of course we’re taking care of our families. BUT, I know all too well that the day to day tasks can become somewhat mundane. It was an awesome reminder to me to remember that all of the preparation I do every day, week, month, actually can make a huge difference in the morale of my family. Am I preparing our lives in such a way as to instill confidence? Or am I afraid? Am I not caring to brush their hair and teeth, because they’re “too little” to care? Am I remembering that what we look like (inside and out) is a direct reflection on the work I do inside my home when no one else is looking?
I am reminded that I have no need to be afraid of the winters ahead. But to work hard, prepare for the snow, and to clothe my family with the best that I have to offer. Confidence will breed from my attitude and hard work as a mother and a wife. They will be confident in me, and they will always know that I have their best interest at heart.
Tags: children, family, love, motherhood, prepared, Proverbs 31, wife
