Far More Valuable Than Diamonds

As a woman, there is a lot of pressure: to be desirable, you have to have the toned legs and belly of an airbrushed runway model; to succeed in the workplace, you must overcome your gender and claw your way up the corporate ladder; to succeed as a mother, your children must have good manners and earn good grades; to be a good wife, you have to don your apron and make June Cleaver look like a scrub!

While I don't feel a part of my purpose is to crawl up the corporate ladder, I know part of it is to be a good wife... and I have moments where I feel like I'm not living up to potential. I have been in the pressure cooker lately and at times, I feel like my head may explode.

I am one of those weird people who has a precise spot for everything and can tell, down to the millimeter, if something's been moved. I detest clutter and am thrilled by a freshly organized cabinet. I grew up in a household that boasted squeaky clean baseboards and remote controls wrapped in Ziploc bags (yes, I'm serious). While I'm not THAT bad, very little makes me happier than going to bed on crisp, clean sheets in a freshly cleaned home.

With that being said, I married a man who is fine with leaving soiled plates on the counter for days and whose idea of organizing is leaving his shoes in one place on the floor and towels in another. Needless to say, keeping our home maintained in a fashion I find suitable is difficult. I don't need a spotless house, but I do want it to be presentable. I have really had to learn to chill out my OCD tendencies.

Last week, I came home in an extremely foul mood. I'm surprised that no living being turned to stone when my eyes locked on their's. When I got home, the kitchen sink was overflowing with dishes and there were 2 plates and a cup on the island. This was perplexing since the kitchen had been clean when I left 12 hours earlier. I begrudgingly unloaded the dishwasher and instead of unloading on anyone (even those without opposable thumbs), the silverware really got a talking to.

After venting to the salad forks, I calmed down a little and began a nice conversation with a teapot. Ok, I'm kidding about that, but I did talk to myself and God.



Like everyone reading, I have a lot going on. Along with being a wife, a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, a friend and a puppy mommy, I work full time and run an Etsy shop on the side. I try to take care of myself to control Fibromyalgia symptoms and to look good for my husband. All of this combined makes for one very stressed little girl that watches the clock like a hawk.

It was through the clatter of stainless steel that I had an epiphany and was reminded of the picture of the ideal wife.

"A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. Her husband trusts her without reserve and never has reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treat him generously all her life long. She shops around for the best yarns and cottons...First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day. She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking. She's quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor... When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly. She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive. Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise." Proverbs 31

I believe women are meant to be busy. God granted us with the assets we possess so we can take care of our husbands and family, keep a home running efficiently (and cleanly) and work where necessary to benefit our families. Although the woman described in Proverbs 31, the ideal wife, was busy, she carried out her tasks with grace and was praised for her hard work and positive attitude.

Through my time at the sink, I began to wonder how in the world I would ever learn to balance the busyness of my life? How does someone like me learn to deal with coming home to find a once spotless home covered with crusty dishes and piles of clothes?

I could organize every inch of my house, manage my time with the precision of a football coach (well, just not Les Miles), and clear my schedule of extracurricular activities, but I believe the answer is much more simple. If God gave me the assets to run a home and a family, doesn't it make sense that He would be the one to ask how to use them? The only answer I see is to seek advice and wisdom from the One who made me capable of fitting into the mold of a Proverbs 31 wife.



I'm a new wife and learning to jive my life with another is something I've never had to do. Until June 4, my life was MY life. Now, my life is OUR life. Without God at the center of our marriage, I will undoubtedly feel the heat of that pressure cooker, but with God at the helm, our marriage is built on a Rock and dirty dishes and life's unexpected bumps are already taken care of. We just have to ask. God is for us, even if we're a bit OCD or slobs messy and only He can bring those two idiosyncrasies together in complete harmony.

"Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeing, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

Edit: P.S. I would like to add that I once told Clay to run some water on plates and bowls and I would load the dishwasher, thus some of the mess. I told him that the growing pile of dry plates, both in and out of the sink, and skillets bothered me. We came up with a plan together and voila! Crisis diverted. Marriage is a give and take. He does a great job of meeting me halfway and for that, I am grateful. He looks past my OCD ways and loves me all the same!