Chapter 1 ~ A Rare Treasure ~ Her Character

Proverbs 31:10a "Who can find a virtuous woman?"

Well, I just read the first chapter, and all I can say is "Wow!" Mrs. George wisely uses the imagery of striving to become the Proverbs 31 woman as climbing a mountain! She herself admits "She's up there, so far away, so far removed, so beautiful, so superior, so impossible. Or so it seems...".

Mrs. George recalls how she climbed Herod the Great's natural fortress, Masada. She admits that she really didn't want to ~ how it was too challenging and how frustrating it was to see other people pass her by as she struggled. She said it took her tapping into the deepest resources of her mental and physical strength to take step after step, but she finally did it!

I know how I go back and forth wanting to try to become like this Superwoman of Proverbs. Sometimes I think, "Why do I even bother?" I see others who seem to be this woman so effortlessly ~ they get up at the crack of dawn for their quiet time ~ I just want 15 minutes more of sleep! Both they and their children are perfectly groomed at all times ~ I'm lucky if I get a shower in or remember to fix my hair ~ and makeup? If I put it on, my kids wonder where we're going! These women never need to repeat themselves or raise their voice, for their children obey promply ~ I won't even comment on that one!

Do any of you feel this way? If so, Mrs. George shares that during the course of this book, we're "...going to tap into the grace of God's power and Spirit-driven resolve to become all God wants us to be-- one step at a time...), verse by verse, mastering one virtue at a time.

Did you know that the Proverbs 31 woman's qualities are in order according to the Hebrew alphabet? Did you also know that these qualities were given to a son by his mother? I like how Mrs. George calls it "woman-to-woman instruction". It's not some lofty, male chauvinistic fantasy!

Even though the alphabet begins with a question ~ "Who can find a virtuous woman?" ~ she (King Lemuel's mother) "fully expects her son to find such a woman of character." Wow! That impossibly perfect woman is out there! We can actually be her ~ not just admire her! Mrs. George reminds us that God takes great care to show us this woman's character in other women of the Bible ~ Ruth (obviously!) and other unnamed women (Proverbs 12:4 ~ notice the word "is"? It's the present tense, ladies! We can attain it! And also 31:29 ~ "many" ~ not just one!)

Wow! This sure is a long post, but there's still so much to share ~ tomorrow. We'll find out how this amazing woman is God's picture of beauty, (Humm ~ I wonder how it will differ from the world's?) discover her virtues, and best of all ~ glean from Mrs. George's "how-to's of beauty". Hope to meet with you tomorrow!