Proverbs 31:17

"She girdeth her loins with strength, And maketh strong her arms."

This is something I've been thinking about a lot lately. Earlier this year I went to Tanzania for the third year in a row. Every year I'm struck by how hard the women (and children as well) work. I have seen these ladies carry an eighteen month old baby on their back in a konga and hoe a field of corn at the same time. For four hours! And that's not all....they fix food from scratch, they scrub their clothes by hand, sometimes they carry every drop of water they use.

And I think of the work I do, the work we here do...and I'm inspired to work harder and strengthen myself to better serve.

We are very blessed by modern convieniences: but are we missing an important trait of hard work and building our strength? We always tease at our house that we actually have six or seven dishwashers! We don't have an automatic dishwasher but there are six or seven of us kids that are well able to wash dishes by hand! Some of my favorite memories are all of us in the kitchen working together and doing dishes. I'm thankful for washing machines, and dryers on rainy days. But there are so many ways we can choose the little bit harder option and strengthen ourselves by daily work.

"The labor of the righteous tendeth to life; The increase of the wicked, to sin." Proverbs 10:16

"In all labor there is profit; But the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury." Proverbs 14:23

The virtuous woman was aware of the strength and stamina needed to properly take care of her home and family. Notice how the language means ongoing as well as a choice to improve!

Here is a paragraph from Adam Clarke's commentary that sheds some very insightful light on this verse and sums up what I'm trying to say!

"7. She takes care of her own health and strength, not only by means of useful labor, but by healthy exercise. She avoids what might enervate her body, or soften her mind - she is ever active, and girt ready for every necessary exercise. Her loins are firm, and her arms strong."

I'm humbled and encouraged to do better with every verse of this passage! It makes me want to work harder, learn more and set goals for myself! I urge us all to be encouraged, to start where we are and work forward. :)