A crown for our thoughts.
I've been getting into gardening lately. Not just as a phase I"m going through, no; it is almost as if I have opened up Pandora's box and become addicted to the treasure I've found inside. And now, for me, there is no going back to life without tilling. I grew up with a green thumb for a father, and I never really had an interest in gardening, especially not in high school. Yes I really enjoyed eating fresh artichokes and watermelon from our backyard, but I never really appreciated all the hard work and thoughtful care that went into making things grow. As my dad likes to say, gardening is a way in which we can closely examine the everyday miracles of God's creation.
Working with my hands is really helping me to better understand Proverbs 31:24. This virtuous biblical ideal of our maiden paints an even more interesting picture of her when we learn about her merchant skills. Indeed she is self-sufficient with her homemaking and shrewd investing, but now we understand that she takes it a step further by being involved in the local commerce. The work of her hands produces fruit for both domestic necessity and trade&marketing. Not only does she manage her family finances, but she also contributes to their income by fortifying the supply and demand. The way this lady conducts herself, at least to me, is reminiscent of someone born into nobility. I'm amazed at her unfailing devotion to the details of everyday monotony.
I was reading in a commentary that the merchants she sells to were the Phoenician merchants, these people were renowned for their skills at seafaring as well as their well-rounded merchant skills. This fact suggests that her merchandise was recognized not only by the local economy, but possibly even on a national or international level as well. This lady is sharp!
This virtue makes me think of the up-and-coming Royal wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton (and yes, I'll be tuning in at 2 am to enamour every detail). This princess-to-be, Kate, is signing up for more than looking pretty in public. No matter how much we all want to romanticize the idea of her becoming a princess, she will have to be much more than that. She will fulfill the role of representing an entire continent's worth of nationalities. She will be a key player in the international diplomacy of the UN. Her marriage to the prince, while brimming with love and romance, has a very political place in the palace walls. She has won the contest and the crown, and has been hand-selected (complete with a giant sapphire ring) to represent her kindgom to the world. Talk about the weight of the world on your shoulders! Not only is she going to have to make a name for herself in the line of royal lineage, but all while remaining fully composed under the scrutiny of constantly being compared to her predecessor, Princess Diana, the world's own sweetheart who seemed to better everything around her. Oh Kate, it's tough being a woman in another woman's shadow. So far though, she seems up for the challenge.
And that makes me ask myself, am I up for that challenge as well? It just so happens that the history of man has named William and Kate as prince and princess. But it is important to remember that being heirs and heiresses to the kingdom of God makes us "commoners" royalty on an even bigger scale! Am I living as a true princess? Am I bettering everything around me, and representing my King with grace and responsibility? Am I honoring my prince? Are my hands cultivating my environment like a well-watered garden? Am I contributing to the financial well-being of my home and community?
I know I'm nowhere near where I should be, and by the grace of God I am given new chances everyday to keep running toward the goal. There is always room for improvement, and a princess can never be too good at her job. So ladies, my prayer for you is that you'll take your roles and run with them. You're royalty, a precious daughter of the Most High God, and He has chosen you to represent his Kingdom to the entire world, starting with those in your current surroundings. I pray for all of us to keep running the race, praising our King in public, and bettering the lives of those around us. Please pray for the determination that will enable me to do the same.
Love,
Caryn
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