31:13-14
the road less traveled
13. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.
14. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.
When the thought to begin a Proverbs 31 project first appeared in my mind, I remember thinking that planning out monthly activities would be so fun and straightforward. After all, most of this project would be following the exact wording of the scripture, so the most challenging part would be coordinating travel, expenses, etc. In hindsight, I can’t believe how foolish I was.
Wool and flax. Wool and flax? Wool AND flax! This woman (I should really invent a name for her. Proverbs Pamela? 31 Theresa?) was waking up and making clothes for her family out of two very intricate materials. I can sew a button onto a shirt, or maybe mend a tear, but making wool clothing? Let alone in one month! Already feeling defeated, I sat down to reevaluate how I could approach these lines.
I consider myself to be a very lazy person. This is not something I am proud of, but it is a simple fact of my existence. When I say lazy, I don’t mean messy, sloppy, or unwilling to work. I enjoy keeping a tidy and organized space, I do not go out in public with clothing that has tears or stains on it, and I have a very strong work ethic. Have I ever ran a 5K? No. Do I enjoy quiet time by myself, not having to be productive? Absolutely! Perhaps to some this isn’t laziness, but I am working on having a more rounded approach to my day-to-day life.
I could’ve committed in the month of January to learning how to knit or crochet, and traveling to find new foods to introduce to my diet. I thought at first that was the way to approach these verses. I prayed for guidance through scripture as it pertains to my journey in Proverbs 31, and God delivered! I was shown that part I needed to focus on was “willing hands.” As I mentioned previously, I am not a stranger to hard work. Between volunteering, mucking out horse stalls, and now working a full time job, my work ethic has only increased as time has elapsed. When it comes to work, however, many times I have only done something because of what I feel needs to be done.
Think of it this way: when you go to work, are you there simply to earn a living, or do you approach each task and nuisance with an attitude of furthering the kingdom? If everything we do as Christians is supposed to be for His glory, my attitude needs to reflect that. I am very new in my career, and learning how to navigate daily challenges has been a unique experience. In January, what I committed to do was approach my job and daily tasks with an attitude of willingness, not just necessity. What resulted was incredible. Instead of grumbling through every inconvenience, I would stop myself and remember that what I am doing not only serves a greater purpose for myself and others, but if I keep Him at the center of my approach, I am keeping my eyes on what is above.
For example, laundry. I try to do laundry once per week, and being able to wash, dry, and fold/hang up laundry all in one day has always been a struggle. At the end of the day when I’ve remembered that I have clean clothes in the dryer (I know I’m not alone in this), I have historically just left them in the basket, or dumped them at the foot of my bed and rifled through them throughout the week to find whichever items I would be wearing that day. There are many things wrong with this approach, but my attitude is by far the biggest issue. Having clean clothes to wear is a blessing. Leaving them crumpled at the end of the bed is not a respectful way to remember that blessing. Grumbling about how annoyed I am that I have to spend hours doing laundry after a long day of work, or on the weekend when I could be out having fun is not setting any kind of example.
This past month, I committed to praying constantly, particularly in the small and mundane tasks of daily life. When I would hear myself grumble, I would say, “Lord, I do not enjoy doing the laundry. But I am so grateful to have clean clothes, and I intend to honor you by acknowledging this blessing and being respectful of it by treating these garments well.” When a challenge appeared on my desk at work, I would hear myself starting to complain, then I would say, “Lord, I know that you have equipped me to handle this challenge. It may seem like a lot to handle, but if I look to you and not drag my feet and grumble, I know that this will pass soon.” Recently, I had a VERY challenging day at work. I was thrown so many curveballs, and all I wanted to do was grumble and complain. Instead, I remembered my prayer, I gave thanks for this job that I genuinely enjoy, and the day went by without a hitch. It wasn’t an easy day, but my willingness to persist and be of use enabled me to be successful.
I didn’t just focus on being less of a sourpuss, though that was a significant portion of my quest for this month. This woman in Proverbs stopped at nothing to ensure that she and her family had quality food and nutrients to sustain them, even if that meant going far away (something that could not have been simple without a car, bus, train, tram, plane, or even a bicycle). When it comes to food, convenience has long been the deciding factor in matters of my health. Some days that meant having only coffee for lunch, or a protein bar. I spent more time in January curating healthy meals and plans to make sure I was nourishing and fueling my body. To my surprise, I have been getting the best sleep of my life, not to mention more energy than I have ever had!
Most of my experience with this portion of Proverbs has been with the spirit of the scripture, not a literal interpretation of what has been written. I can understand how some may disapprove of this. I had to be true to what God had shown me, and in this circumstance, willing hands was the focus. I can’t speak for the months to follow, but I know that I am going to get quite literal with Proverbs when God shows me what I need to do.
I did not imagine that this month would have such a profound effect upon my mindset. I really thought that I would be spending this month with crochet needles and durian fruit. What God had planned for me was more than I could’ve possibly imagined, and I am so grateful to each and every one of you for taking the time to follow along on my journey.