{friday's featured female} :: The Proverbs 31 Woman, vs. 14

Vs. 14- "She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar."

I watched a documentary last night called "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead." ( I know you're wondering what that has to do with Proverbs 31!) Well, I've been thinking a lot about food, recipes, growing food, whole foods diets, and so on. This film talked about many interesting things that I won't get into right now. But one thing that stood out to me was a section where they talked about how convenient our food is. I don't just mean fast food. But in general, food is very easy to come by and prepare in our culture. They talked about how much healthier it was in older days to have to work for every meal. To have to hunt it, or grow it, or figure out how to store it. Not only did people eat more naturally this way, they also got a lot of physical activity while acquiring their food supply. We don't have to grow anything if we don't want to. We don't have to clean the game in order to have meat, or grind our own wheat for flour. If people do those things, it is usually by conscious choice, not necessity.

I wish I knew more about the culture and times of the Proverbs 31 woman. I hope to read more to discover some of the ways she lived! I connected that clip of the documentary with this verse in Proverbs. I wonder what food choices were available in her village. We see over and over again that this woman finds ways to provide her family with the best things. Did she have to get her food from far away? Or was that in an effort to have better eating choices for her family? Something tells me that not every homemaker in her village was going through the same trouble. I think this was a woman who stood out; maybe she did things a little differently! I wonder if there were ingredients that she wanted that she couldn't get down at the open market. I wonder if she waited for her shipments to come in so that she could stock up on the things she needed to make healthy and wholesome choices for her family's meals. I also secretly wonder if she would have loved the world of homemaker's blogs and exchanging healthy recipes! I know that sometimes online is where I find kindred spirits- other ladies devoted to their homemaking, and trying to feed their families healthier, more homegrown, and more organic foods. As I find an online community of other women all across North America, I wonder if she felt alone. Maybe even a little weird for choosing to go against the grain. Maybe everyone else was buying convenience foods down at the market, but she was down by the docks, waiting for her shipments to come in. Maybe- I don't know!

I think this verse, above all, speaks encouragement to those trying to do things a little bit differently. Maybe against what our culture deems "normal." It's old-fashioned to bake bread, to stay home with your children, to even utter the word "homemaking." Let her encourage your heart today that it is the best choice to go the extra mile for your family, no matter how big or small the act may be. It is always right to be wise in your decisions on how to feed, clothe, educate your children and organize your home. I don't believe that God specifically calls us as women to work, or to stay at home, or homeschool, or send our kids to school, or have a brood of children, or have one, or even to marry or stay single. I know some would disagree with me on this, and that's ok. I do know He calls us to be keepers of our homes- whether that is just you, or a dozen people! So make wise choices in your home. Gather your food from afar, whatever that may mean today in your life. Whatever it is you do that is best for you and your family, even if it's a little unconventional in our world- do it boldly!


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