Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. (Proverbs 31:10)

My dad was the one looking, I wasn’t. I just came into this world and spent most of my years in it taking for granted the virtuous woman who is my mom.

Today’s her birthday. And I don’t take her for granted anymore.

There’s a lot of verses in Proverbs 31 that apply to my mom. . .

She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. . . she layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. (Proverbs 31:13, 19) My mom sews a lot. Sometimes for pay but usually not. A lot of her time nowadays goes into sewing blanket tops for our church’s sewing circle, and that in an indirect way takes me to verse 20. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. Another way she does that is by cooking meals for those who are sick or just plain busy with life. I don’t like to sew, but her example of putting a lot of time and effort into something that doesn’t profit her at all is something I want to follow.

She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household. (Proverbs 31:15) My mom pretty much always made Saturday and Sunday breakfast when I lived at home, and I’m sure she still does. I remember sleeping in on either one or both of those days and missing breakfast entirely and being so glad I wasn’t the one who’d gotten up earlier than the rest to make it. Or days when there was a potluck at church and I could tell as soon as I walked into the kitchen in the morning that my mom had already been up a while making food and getting things ready. And she didn’t complain about it. More often than not, she had a smile for me, even though I could’ve been up helping her instead of sleeping in.

She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. (Proverbs 31:16) I don’t know that my mom ever bought a field, but she certainly plants a garden pretty much every year. She plants, waters, weeds, harvests, and stores, sometimes with help, sometimes without. And she doesn’t complain about that either. I haven’t ever envied her putting on one of Dad’s old shirts to go out and pick beans or raspberries or corn, but she seems to thrive on it. And in the summer she always seems to be busy canning or freezing this and that.

She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet. . . She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. (Proverbs 31:21, 27) We don’t have to worry about a lot of snow around here, but this verse reminds me that we children were always well taken care of when we were little. And we’re still well taken care of when she has the chance. . . 🙂 She isn’t always working hard, but even when she’s “not doing anything,” she’s doing something. Reading, sudoku, writing letters. . .

More verses about sewing. . . which is interesting because she does so much of it. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. . . She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. (Proverbs 31:22, 24) The first verse makes me think of something a little opposite of what the verse says, and that is how my mom has cautioned me over the years to remain simple in dress. It’s not something I used to appreciate, but I do now. And the second verse. . . well, she used to have a website, and on that website was a place for people to order dresses, and she would sew and sew and sew, and do a great job of it, too! [Update: her website is still up and running! Check out the link in the comments. :)] And it wasn’t just about making a little extra money on the side either. She had relationships with some of the people she sewed for, and she wasn’t afraid to answer questions or offer encouragement when it came to living a simple, Christian life. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. (Proverbs 31:26) She doesn’t only offer other people wisdom though. It’s something I’m still learning, but standing in her kitchen talking to my mom is a good place to be.

I’ll let my dad speak for the “husband” verses. 🙂 But I can speak for verse 28. Her children arise up, and call her blessed.

http://www.eaf.net/pantinghart/2009/my-wife/

A woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. (Proverbs 31:30) I don’t accredit my mom being who she is to some feat of integrity and virtue on her part. She fears the Lord, and she walks with Him, and that is how she can be who she is. My mom isn’t perfect. I’m not either. But as I get older, there’s more and more ways that I realize I want to be like my mom. So. . .

Happy birthday, Mom, from a blessed daughter. . .

Proverbs 31 aside, my mom is just a regular mom doing what needs to be done, but there’s some things in particular that she gave me that not every mom gives their daughter. . .

. . . she said I was her little songbird, but she must’ve taught me to sing.
. . . she likes to read my poetry now, but she played a big part in teaching me to love poetry when I was younger. . . partly in reading Childcraft to me and partly in showing me how it was done by her own poetry-writing. (Note: I come by it honestly, seeing as both my dad and mom write poetry.)
. . . she set an example of reading her Bible every morning, and I follow that example now, right down to the reading of My Utmost for His Highest.
. . . she didn’t give up on me, even when I was at my most unlovable, and that reminds me to continue loving others no matter what as well.

Things have changed a bit. 🙂Isn’t it strange/funny/odd/narcissistic the way we view other people in relation to ourselves? Well, here’s a few pictures from my mom’s life to show that there’s more to her than just who she is in relation to me. 🙂 And a few along the way remind me of more things I would do well to be like her in. . .

She married my dad thirty five years ago. And they're still married. Her love is strong, and she is faithful.She spent quite a lot of time serving in Mexico, and now she spends time serving at home.She raised a family of five, and we all love her. Not to mention the in-laws and grandchildren (some of which she's done a great deal of caring for).She took time for us when we were younger. . . time to play with us, read to us, make sure we looked nice. 🙂 And she still takes time for us today.There's one family reunion that she always tries to get us to go to, and for the past few years we've been able to bless her side of the family with singing a few songs for them. Or humoring them by trying on aprons. 🙂 Family is important to her.One thing that I really appreciate about my mom is her willingness to teach Sunday school. It seems like whenever she's asked, she says yes. And she does a great job of it, too. And it wouldn't be a birthday post without the following two pictures. . . of her with her mom when she was a baby and of me with my mom when I was a baby.Thanks, Mom. . .

Today probably isn’t your mom’s birthday. But you can still take the time to thank her for what she’s done for you. Write a note, send a letter, give a hug. . . or if you want to tell the world (or at least this blog’s small readership) who your mom is and how great she is, leave a comment. 🙂