Who Can Find Her?

Driving along today, my daughter and I began a conversation.

The conversation basically went something like this:

Denise: "I don't understand that. Who would not want more (than they have) for their children? Who not want them to reach their potential?"

Mom: "Some people don't have real lives, Hun. They simply exist."

Denise: "But, I don't understand that. I want my life to mean something. I want to take care of my family, to raise my children to love the Lord, to see them live for Him. I want to make a difference in someones life, help lead someone to the Lord! And, when I die, I want people to remember my life as one that mattered."

Mom: "You want to be a virtuous woman."

Denise: "......Yea, I guess I do."

Proverbs 31:10-31 can give even the most devout woman the shivers. What a tall order to live up to!

It starts off the very detailed description in verse 10 with "Who can find a virtuous woman."

That is a good question.

I can honestly say that I fall short when the measuring stick is this account. She had it going on! Running her own business, caring for her family, making their clothing, cooking, cleaning, etc. And she did it all well!

I mean I manage to do some of it, but some of it may be far from perfect or prosperous!

Sometimes I feel like I am just getting by!

She did more than that, she excelled, surpassed them all.

And if using this as a pattern, how many today would measure up? I fear, not many.

I have lived my entire life in the South. I am a Southern girl and I wouldn't trade it for anything. But, being such, I can only give an account for the South.

And, frankly, my account would not be too good.

I had another conversation with someone recently who was concerned about a young lady she knew. It seems she was being allowed to date at a very young age with a guy who was much older. They were being allowed to spend time alone together and being given opportunities that this person felt could only lead to disaster.

As we were talking about the situation the person said that one would think that the mother of this young girl would want to protect her daughter from something that happened to her at a young age, becoming a mother. And they said that they would think that would have been enough for the mother to want something better for her child, know what she went through and how she struggled.

And I told the that I honestly believe it is that kind of attitude that the Word is speaking about when it says that in the last days mothers will be without natural affection for their children. Because a mother's natural instinct would be to see her children prosper.

But, so many times today we see just the opposite. We see mothers that allow the TV to babysit their children, anything to get them out of their hair. We see women that take on a role in their marriage that God never intended, and that role reversal leads to other difficulties.

And although I know too well that there are too many men in the world today who also fail to live up to God's standard for a husband and father, that will have to be another blog for another time.

It is no secret that I feel a woman has a certain place in the family structure and that a woman should know that place. I do not subscribe to the idea of Women's Liberation. Never have.

And that's all I'm going to say about that.

What I am asking today is when you examine all that you are, are you all you can be?

If tomorrow someone had to write your eulogy, what would it say?

I am looking in my own mirror today.

To borrow from a line of a song that my Daughter mentioned today: "The greatest tragedy is not your death but a life without purpose, that your life had no reason."

What if I had no time left? What have I accomplished? Does my Husband feel blessed that I have been his wife? Have I watched over my family, supplied their needs? Have I instructed them and made sure they would go out in the world as productive citizens and not to be a drain on society? Have I taught my Daughter how to be a wife, a mother? Have I taught my Son how to stand up and be the man God expects him to be?

What legacy will I leave behind? Will my family rise up and call me Blessed?

If someone came to my door right now looking for a virtuous woman, would they find one here?