I have this rare "condition" where my mind is always painting pictures. If I'm talking to someone on the phone, I picture where they are even if I have no idea what their surroundings look like. When I read a book, I have snapshots in my head of what each character looks like. I even get an image in my mind when I answer the phone at work and talk to a complete stranger. I don't know if this is normal, but maybe it's partly why I became a photographer. I always have obscure snapshots in my head anyway, so I may as well capture the real stuff on camera, too. :-)
Have you ever imagined a snapshot of the Proverbs 31 woman? Well, I have. I'm a little ashamed to admit that after reading the passage over and over this morning, my picture of her is way off base. I imagined her to be a bit of a robust woman who scurried around her house cooking and cleaning and tending to her children. I saw her as a reserved, respectful woman who quietly did anything her husband or children asked of her. I imagined her to be a bit matronly--not stunningly gorgeous--but I figured what she lacked in beauty she made up for in character.
Honestly...is that the vision in your head or am I the only one? I spent some time this morning reading Proverbs 31 in several different translations and guess what?! The image in my mind was totally inaccurate!
Look at this list of her character traits:
Trustworthy (her husband trusts her)
Hard Worker (works with willing hands)
Early Riser (rises while it is still night)
Meal Provider (provides food for her house)
Business Woman (buys fields, makes linen garments and sells them)
Saver of Money (plants fields with her savings)
Night Owl (her lamp does not go out at night)
Seamstress (makes her own clothes and linens)
Generous (gives to poor and needy)
Strong and Dignified (dresses herself with these traits)
Sense of Humor (laughs at the time to come)
Wise (opens her mouth with wisdom)
Kind (teaching of kindness is on her tongue)
Manages House Well (looks well to all the ways of her household)
Productive (does not eat the bread of idleness)
What a list!
Now, verse 30 is my favorite:
"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."
In the past, I assumed this verse meant that the woman described in these passages wasn't beautiful. I thought it was saying "It's okay that this woman isn't pretty because she fears the Lord, and that's more important." When I read this passage today, it hit me in a different way.
Suddenly, I'm picturing her as a beautifully charming woman with a face and figure that any woman would love to have. I imagine her with long, flowing hair, a breathtaking complexion, and a smile that lights up a room. I see her as a bit enchanting but modest and virtuous. However, these things don't matter! Her husband and children call her blessed because of her character, not because of her beauty! She may be the most beautiful woman in the world, but her beauty is not her focus.
I'm praying that someday I will be a woman like this. I want to be a woman who possesses this amazing list of attributes. But even more than that, I want to be a woman who is more concerned with my spiritual life and character than my outer beauty.
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4
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