Virtuous Wife free BOM block 11...

 

“She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers linen sashes to the merchants.”

We’ve discussed in a previous study of the Proverbs 31 woman the industriousness of this lady, so I shan’t go over that again. What I would like for us to ponder with verse 24 is the variety of ways she manages the family income, from two sources – her husband’s (which I assume was the main income) and her own.

Over the many decades of my homemaking life there have been long seasons when I needed to supplement the family income whilst still being home to care for the children, teach them (we homeschooled) and tend to our household. Some of the ways I did this was through caring for small children in our home through Family Day Care, buying and selling vintage books I found by scouring op-shops and garage sales, and eventually at the age of fifty becoming an embroidery designer – something I am still doing today.

I have never seen myself in the role of breadwinner, and God-willing I will never need to be, but with no extended family in either mine or my husband’s life we’ve always had to lean on the Lord for help in tough times, and some of those times He would open a door for me to help out financially. This is how I think about verse 24 – she did what was needed at the time.

Managing the family budget wisely for us didn’t always mean earning more income. Most of the time it meant doing without, shopping for clothes at op-shops (charity stores), planning a very strict grocery budget and menu plan – then sticking to it. It meant choosing fun activities that were free - botanical garden picnics, swimming at the beach, hiking in the rainforest or the mountains, meeting up with other homeschool families for a BBQ, playing plenty of board games with the kids each evening, having the whole family sit around the table to do a large jigsaw we’d bought at the op-shop for a dollar, growing a garden out the back, recycled craft afternoons...so many things.

A wise woman finds ways to manage her home, and that may mean “she makes linen garments and sells them”, but it may also mean she is thrifty, sensible and wise to manage her husband’s income so that the bills are paid, the family dress presentably, and dinner is on the table to fill hungry bellies. It means she doesn’t pursue shopping as though it was her hobby, she isn’t filling the shelves with useless or wasteful items, and she is caring well for her home so that everything stays in good working order for as long as possible.

Industriousness within the home is so very important, and personally, I see it as a great privilege and blessing that I have a home to care for when many in the world do not.

I shall ponder this month just how I can improve my skills as a diligent and wise homemaker…will you?

Use the link below to download this month's free pattern -

DOWNLOAD Block 11 The Virtuous Wife

If you have missed any of the previous blocks they can be downloaded HERE

God bless,

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