Proverbs 31 Woman

Not very often does this actually happen (at least during the summer), but I woke up before my little guy.  Hmmmm...what to do with the extra time on my own, you know the 10 - 15 minutes before he realizes mommy is up.  Perfect amount of time to dive into some quiet time.  This morning I felt the need to read Proverbs 31.  We all need goals in our lives and encouragement to reach those goals so reading about the Proverbs 31 woman would be a good place to start.  Have you ever stopped to wonder how the 31 woman was able to do everything so perfectly, or at least she made it come across that way. Seeing as that is a whole lot to live up to and could be extremely overwhelming to try and achieve at one time I decided to take this one verse at a time. I am encouraged to start with verse 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. I remember a time that every thought I had was optimistic and everything was right with the world no matter what other people said or did.  Sadly over the years events have come and gone and the girl who was so believing in anything has had a harder time being so optimistic.  Now don't get me wrong I am a glass is half full kind of girl for sure, but I know there is more and sometimes you get tired of being brought down by those who do not necessarily have the same outlook on life.  This can happen anywhere with anyone you come in contact with.  The challenge is to keep that positive outlook on life whatever the circumstances maybe and to let that shine through the way you interact with others.  Maybe the verse is saying that she, the 31 woman, has the strength to overcome the hardships and disappointments, and the dignity to not let those around her bring her down in the process.  This in return would allow her to "laugh" or enjoy the days to come based on her decisions and the way she handles herself when such instances arise.  The 31 woman needs to have the faith I talked about in my last post.  Luckily I know of some women who show strength, dignity, and faith in their life even through the hardest days.  Click here to read about one such woman and how God is working in her family's life during this challenging time. I have been encouraged daily reading their story and updates on sweet Parker.