Proverbs 31:14-15 - Food!

Proverbs 31:14-15 "She is like merchant the ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls."

First off, where are my servant girls? Haha, don't I wish for the help! These verses demonstrate the woman's responsbility in her home to provide nourishment for her family. Here she is going out and negotiating good food for her family to eat. In the context of that culture, it probably meant she was using things she had made to trade for food to save her family money. In today's culture, I can also negotiate food for my family through shopping the sales and using coupons, always getting the best price for the items we need. Also, the fact that she is bringing in food from afar may indicate that the food is from other cultures. I suppose it is a good thing to have a varied diet and provide your family with many types of food, not just the same ol' routine.

Not only does a virtuous woman bring the food into the home, she also gets up early to begin her day and prepare the food. This is a hard one for me! My husband gets up to get ready for work, and I often sleep in until the children get up. I know that my day should start "while it is still dark". Not so literally, I take this to mean, before the hustle and bustle begins in the household. It is important to take time each morning to begin in prayer alone with our heavenly Father. This is something I have wanted to have the discipline to accomplish regularly, but have not yet done. In addition, we are to prepare food for our family. I know my husband does not necessarily want a full hot breakfast every morning, but he has expressed how much he loves it when I get up with him and make his lunch for him to take to work.

So I ask myself: Am I doing a good job bringing food into my home? Am I doing all that I can to try and negotiate the best price for a wide variety of foods? What can I do better with regard to getting up and spending quiet time with the Lord in the morning? How does my routine need to change to fulfill the Lord's desire that I am preparing food for my family each morning?