Two years ago I re-wrote Proverbs 31 for the modern day woman as a tribute to Mother’s Day.
The original NLT bible version is framed on my desk. This scripture will always inspire and influence my decisions as I raise my family.
But after reading my Modern Day Proverbs 31 Woman penned back in 2018, I realized how different life has changed since I wrote it.
And so, with a bit of tongue-in-cheek and exasperation, I have rewritten Proverbs 31, for the modern day Iso woman.
You may not have kids and still relate to some of the musings in my version of this scripture.
For others, you may not relate at all, and that’s ok.
I’m so very grateful to be a mum and I am lucky to be able to have resources to fall back on. But it’s also ok to acknowledge the frustration and overwhelm during this time.
Proverbs 31 Woman Iso Style
A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds… or a 24 pack of toilet rolls, or a 1kg packet of flour or a bottle of hand sanitizer in 2020.
Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it… especially when she cooks, cleans, ensures all the kids have done their homeschooling while also attempting to do her own paid work from home.
She organises the Mother’s Day gifts and Birthday day gifts 3 weeks in advance because who knows when Australia Post will deliver. She knows her husband will remember 4 weeks later and sometimes, not at all.
Never spiteful, she loves her family generously. She graciously balances the ever changing needs of her family. Screen time limits have gone out the window.
She tailors the new normal to ensure less disruption to those around her, despite the cost to her mental state and expanding waist line.
She shops for linens at online stores. Someone has to buy an appreciation present for the kids’ new teacher.
Her Facebook feed is filled with articles on how she can fill her time at home by learning a new hobby or starting a new project!
Her mind is like an overloaded iPhone with so many apps open and the cloud storage at near capacity. It’s frazzled with information and a need for answers.
She used to dream of sailing away on a cruise ship, but the Ruby Princess sealed that decision shut forever.
She stays up until the early hours of the morning to catch up on activities not done during the day like watching an episode on Netflix or online shopping.
She doesn’t sleep despite being bone tired. When she finally does fall asleep, it’s time to wake and start the madness of doing it all again.
She hovers from one child to the next to the next during home schooling.
She has 150 website tabs open on her iPhone, iPad and laptop, madly googling all the answers to questions she doesn’t know. How could she write a blog and not know the basics of correct grammar?!
She watches 10 minute videos on problem solving to understand how to answer her child’s question. She’s interrupted by another child with a different question, disrupting her concentration and no closer to the answer to the first question.
She provides 750 snacks per day to ensure tummies are filled and minds are nourished.
She bookmarks interior articles and pins dream rooms on Pinterest, in the hope she will live in something just as clean and tidy, one day.
She plants a vegetable garden in the hope it will reduce the grocery costs despite it costing her a weeks worth of groceries to set it up.
She adds greenery to her home by buying a million plants, in the hope it will clean the air and hide a multitude of undone chores.
She senses the worth of her work and is counting down the days till her kids go back to school and when life can resume some sort of normality once again.
She’s skilled in crafts of home and hearth – like vacuuming LEGO, wiping toothpaste trails, collecting cups of water, sniffing clothes and eye-spying empty toilet rolls.
She will get on top of her to-do-list when the kids move out of home.
She used to be quick to say yes to anyone in need. Now she says yes to what she can handle. She’s thankful lockdown rules have cancelled all volunteer meetings until further notice.
She doesn’t worry about her family when it gets cold. With everyone home in iso, there’s enough heat to keep warm. The oven increases everyone’s insulation.
She buys her own clothing online. Each delivery bringing a skip to her step as she signs for a new package at the front door.
Her husband is greatly respected, when he deliberates with his work colleagues. He’s amazed with what his wife has done while he’s been at work, and thanks God he can escape to work so it’s not him trying to school the kids.
She declutters her house but has nowhere to send the goods because Vinnies is closed. So the piles keep piling and the house looks messier than it was before the culling.
She is clothed in pyjamas and a messy bun one day, soft pants and bed hair the next. She dresses business from the waist up for zoom meetings.
She laughs and has no fear of the future because surely 2020 couldn’t get much worse?!
When she speaks, she always has something worthwhile to say like,
“When was the last time you brushed your teeth?”
“Why do you have undies on your head?”
“Do you act like this in front of your teachers at school?”
She accidentally teaches her children 4 letter words not found on the sight words list.
Her children respect and bless her and her husband joins in with words of praise:
“Your tummy is so much more cuddly and bouncy!”
“I don’t think you should repeat tonight’s dinner, mummy.”
“I can’t wait to go back to school.”
Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades, as this mum knows. She has more wrinkles, stretch marks and tummy rolls. She has less patience, finger nails and boobs.
Yet this woman is a woman to be admired and praised.
She survives each day on prayer, coffee, chocolate and a vineyard.
Give her everything she deserves! A sleep in, a pay rise, a personal assistant, a cleaner, a chef, a hairdresser, a full day with a beautician – a teacher! (praise be for teachers!)
Festoon her life with praises – she may be tired and weary, heavy and hairy – yet she hasn’t given up!
She’s still the hot mess before all of this started.
Oh Modern Day ISO Proverbs 31 Woman, you do deserve a raise!
