By Shirley M. Wiggins
“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.’ … So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.’ For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:18, 21-24 (NASB).
Thank You for the memories, Jesus; I see her now:
Petite and slender, she was a lady in every sense of the word with her black hair, long and straight, drawn tightly in a neat bun on the back of her head, My grandmother, seated at the piano down front at the little white-frame church, teaching me as a little girl to play, “Are You Washed In the Blood?”
I’ve seen this picture in my mind’s eye several times before. Often it’s during a Sunday evening service as we are singing that precious old song.
This particular time was several years ago on the last Sunday of the cold month of January. I was sitting with my dearly loved friends at my current home church and as we began to sing, the tears sprang to my eyes with a sharp stinging pain that caused my mouth to tremble in spite of my efforts to gain control over my emotions.
There was a sudden intense longing to see her again and a sudden strong yearning to have my husband, children, and grandchildren gathered around me singing and worshipping together.
How clearly I could see her: That sweet, small-in-stature lady with the soft velvety dark hair and eyes, always wearing a smile, always with a warm word of good humor and encouragement on her lips. She had a softly crinkled beautiful face, and work-worn hands that brought forth such beautiful and worshipful music from the keys of that old church piano.
Did she ever have a piano of her own? Oh, how I wish I could hear her talk to me again! I have so many questions I would ask!
I never heard that gentle woman say a harsh, angry word to anyone or about anyone, nor ever a critical or complaining word. So many people told us they’d never known her to speak an unkind word about anyone.
How did she do that, I asked the Lord again. How did she keep from ever speaking ‘a discouraging word’ or a complaining word? She experienced some of life’s harsh and hard circumstances while on this earth.
And she surely must have had plenty of worries as a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother. If any woman ever seemed to have plenty of reason to fret, fear and faint, it seemed to me that she did, just because of the times in which she lived.
But, I never saw any fretting, fearing, or fainting; nor have I ever heard about any from others who knew her. What I did see, though, even as a young girl myself, was a courageous woman who had a heart full of love and concern for her family and for others in her community.
I’ve wondered a lot about whom she might would have talked to and with about everyday life issues, and have also wondered if she had a close woman-friend that she could confide in. Or did she take all those concerns straight to the Lord Himself?
She apparently married the love of her life at a young age. Sometime later in life Papa’s farm wagon overturned breaking one of his legs, leaving him in pain for many years. Near the end of his life he was bedridden and my grandmother patiently and lovingly tended his needs night and day until he passed away.
They had four sons and one daughter. Their only daughter married at a young age and died soon after at the age of 18; thirty-four years before my grandmother’s own death at the age of 76.
I am so thankful to the Lord for honoring what I was told had been her desired hope when the time came for her heavenly Father to call her Home. She hoped to go to sleep one night and wake up in heaven and we were told that was exactly the way her departure seemed to have happened!
As was her custom, on that particular evening she had gone next door to spend the night with her friends who were the other grandparents of two of her own granddaughters. Early every morning she would get up and slip quietly out to return to her own home.
But, not that early dawn – it was discovered that she had passed quietly away sometime in the night, apparently very peacefully in her sleep. Her dark hair resting neatly on her pillow showed no evidence that she had ever even turned over in the bed that night.
She was a woman who sacrificed and did without untold creature comforts of her own so that she could give to others. She had the most generous heart and giving to her family made her happy.
I praise and thank the dear Lord for this wonderful woman who had such an impact on my young life that her life remains to this day such an important part of my family memories. I am so grateful for all the years that our family had with her.
I also thank Him for another special day when He brought her lovely face to my mind’s eye. I was reading Proverbs 31:26-27** in my Amplified Bible and the image of her face was so vivid that I wrote her name in the margin beside those verses as a memorial to her.
Thank You for the memories, Jesus! I love You!
May each of us, daughters of Eve and sisters – in – the – flesh and in Christ Jesus, our Lord, have as our hearts’ desire, to be as godly as the women we read about in God’s Word, especially here in Proverbs 31:10-31. Please be sure to read the Footnotes following the Scripture below for valuable and insightful information about some of the women in the Bible.
Proverbs 31: Amplified Bible: 10A capable, intelligent, and [b]virtuous woman--who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls.
11The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil.
12She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is life within her.
13She seeks out wool and flax and works with willing hands [to develop it].
14She is like the merchant ships loaded with foodstuffs; she brings her household's food from a far [country].
15She rises while it is yet night and gets [spiritual] food for her household and assigns her maids their tasks.
16She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard. [S. of Sol. 8:12.]
17She girds herself with strength [spiritual, mental, and physical fitness for her God-given task] and makes her arms strong and firm.
18She tastes and sees that her gain from work [with and for God] is good; her lamp goes not out, but it burns on continually through the night [of trouble, privation, or sorrow, warning away fear, doubt, and distrust].
19She lays her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20She opens her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her filled hands to the needy [whether in body, mind, or spirit].
21She fears not the snow for her family, for all her household are doubly clothed in scarlet.
22She makes for herself coverlets, cushions, and rugs of tapestry. Her clothing is of linen, pure and fine, and of purple [such as that of which the clothing of the priests and the hallowed cloths of the temple were made].
23Her husband is known in the [city's] gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
24She makes fine linen garments and leads others to buy them; she delivers to the merchants girdles [or sashes that free one up for service].
25Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; she rejoices over the future [the latter day or time to come, knowing that she and her family are in readiness for it]!
26She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction].
27She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent, and self-pity) she will not eat.**
28Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied); and her husband boasts of and praises her, [saying],
29[c] Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], but you excel them all.
30Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain [because it is not lasting], but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised!
31Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates [of the city]!
Footnotes:
- Proverbs 31:2 It is important to the purpose of this invaluable chapter that one realizes that it is first of all intended for young men. It is the mother's God-given task to provide youth with this information directly from its inspired source, letting them grow up with it in their consciousness.
- Proverbs 31:10 It is most unfortunate that this description of God's ideal woman is usually confined in readers' minds merely to its literal sense--her ability as a homemaker, as in the picture of Martha of Bethany in Luke 10:38-42. But it is obvious that far more than that is meant. When the summary of what makes her value "far above rubies" is given (in Prov. 31:30), it is her spiritual life only that is mentioned. One can almost hear the voice of Jesus saying, "Mary has chosen the good portion... which shall not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:42).
- Proverbs 31:29 "Many daughters have done... nobly and well... but you excel them all." What a glowing description here recorded of this woman in private life, this "capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman" of Prov. 31! It means she had done more than Miriam, the one who led a nation's women in praise to God (Exod. 15:20, 21); Deborah, the patriotic military advisor (Judg. 4:4-10); Ruth, the woman of constancy (Ruth 1:16); Hannah, the ideal mother (I Sam. 1:20; 2:19); the Shunammite, the hospitable woman (II Kings 4:8-10); Huldah, the woman who revealed God's secret message to national leaders (II Kings 22:14); and even more than Queen Esther, the woman who risked sacrificing her life for her people (Esth. 4:16). In what way did she "excel them all"? In her spiritual and practical devotion to God, which permeated every area and relationship of her life. All seven of the Christian virtues (II Pet. 1:5) are there, like colored threads in a tapestry. Her secret, which is open to everyone, is the Holy Spirit's climax to the story, and to this book. In Prov. 31:30, it becomes clear that the "reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord," which is "the beginning (the chief and choice part) of Wisdom" (Prov. 9:10), is put forth as the true foundation for a life which is valued by God and her husband as "far above rubies or pearls" (Prov. 31:10).
From THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE® Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation; page 733.
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