Prov 31 Swaddling Clothes

  “She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linens and purple gowns.” Proverbs 31:22

  At last! One facet of a Proverbs 31 woman I have achieved! Making bedspreads or can I qualify quilts as such? Do we even have bedspreads nowadays? (Smile.)

  I am rather puzzled. These two statements seem somewhat unrelated. Or is this about a woman having pride of home and pride of body? Maybe pride is too strong a word. Could it be more about gratitude and celebrating what she has, what she is capable of and what she is?

  There’s a story from India that goes something like this. There was a woman, mistreated by her village. She was unkempt, unloved and ignored. Believing herself ugly, she moved like a shadow to avoid being bullied and mocked. Until one day a prince came through the town and saw her. Beneath the neglect, the matted hair, the dirty face, the prince saw something special about her.

   Right away he found where she lived and offered her father the bride price of thirty cows, an amount never offered for any woman ever before. Her father was astounded! He would have been happy with being paid a couple of chickens for this ugly, unwanted daughter. She left that day with her prince.

  Months later, the prince and his wife were passing through the village. The people were in awe of her beauty, her grace, her loveliness. Why the difference? Someone had shown her she had value and worth. Her prince had clothed her in fine linens and silk and something that had no monetary value at all. In the prince’s eyes, she was beautiful.

 

  In our Prince’s eyes, all of us are beautiful.

  I have to admit, I wear glasses. They aren’t the kind for correcting vision. They are the kind of lenses that distort truth.

  There’s much to think about this morning, about what it means to dress in fine linens. Could it be the rags of yesterday are more comfortable? Is familiarity easier than adapting and embracing new ideas? Am I willing to go on allowing the devil to steal my joy, my future hopes? 

  Am I willing to believe that fine linens and purple gowns are meant for me, too?

  The winds of change are blowing something fierce!