Proverbs 31:27 She looks well to the ways of her household. This verse has often been just the inspiration I have needed to remain motivated doing the daily tasks of a homemaker. The Hebrew word for the phrase looks well is tsâphâh meaning to keep watch and has the implication that she watc hes diligently. After a day of one catastrophe after another, I have might have thought there was more hope to see pigs flying through this April sky than to elevate me to match the status of the woman in this verse. But the Lord gave me a fresh perspective of what that verse might really be saying. Let me first share with you about the dress that doesn’t fit, the pump that won’t pump, and my elusive kombucha.
Over the past few months I have found it really rewarding to take on some new endeavors that some people might even describe as antiquated or archaic in today’s society. I’ve rediscovered my love for sewing, especially Arianna size dresses. I’ve been making my own baby food and also trying to breastfeed my little one until mid-July, just after she turns one. And I’ve been experimenting with cooking more traditionally with whole foods so I’ve been soaking my grains before making pancakes or bread, making my own dairy products when possible, and trying my hand at some fermented foods, kombucha being one of them.
My first failure came when my I attempted to have my little one model the dress I painstakingly made in order that I might sew on the last embellishments. After battling with her squirming and fidgeting little self, I finally got a good look at my masterpiece only to find it’s bodice was way too big for her and maybe this adorable sleeveless dress might fit her in December, just in time for Rochester’s first blizzard. Failure one. My second trial centers around breastmilk suppy as it seems to be diminishing rapidly and doesn’t want to make it till our set July weaning date. We (my loving husband and I) bit the bullet and upgraded to a Medela pump so I can try to boost my supply, only to find out my pump won’t pump. Failure two. My third failure I discovered as I went to put away a pair of shoes in the front closet and glanced at my batch of kombucha. As I fully anticipated seeing a glass bowl with a clean dishtowel sitting quietly in the corner, I discovered the pesky little tea towel dropped in the bowl and due to the wonderful creation of capillary action (remember second grade Science) the towel soaked up what had to been at least 2 cups of kombucha and was dripping all over the shelf in the closet. Failure three.
So much for looking well to the way of my household was my mind’s first condemning thought. But I opened up the Word of God and dwelt on the verse for several minutes. I came to the realization that the word “well” only speaks to the women’s actions, not the result. It would be irrational to think that everything we attempt to do should turn out well. I believe the “well” in this verse is speaking to the woman’s actions. She took the effort to care for her household. She was not idle. She put in effort. And my deduction is that even where this effort failed, she put in effort to try again. I love that verse in 2 Corinthians 1:12 that says “ofr our rejoicing is in this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world…” So tomorrow, maybe I’ll start a new dress for Arianna and cut the pattern down a size. As for my milk supply, I have faith that the Lord will see this through. As for the pesky kombucha, I now have a glass jar with a lid the Lord provided me through a friend, so the next batch with be tea towel-less and lastly, I am thankful for capillary action because without it we wouldn’t have the beautiful trees that are just starting to bud, and the daffodils that are peeking up in all my neighbor’s yards. Look well, my friend, and when the results aren’t perfect, smile and remember that if you did it diligently as unto the Lord, you have succeeded.
