Willing Hands...

The Catholic RSV translation of Proverbs 31:13 reads "She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." To be honest I struggled today trying to discover what the Lord is telling us. I did a Google search for reflections on this verse and found that a lot of women believe it means a good wife is resourceful with her money. I agree that she is but I think their might be more to this verse than that because this is a Queen talking to her son who is a King so I am not sure being thrifty was a concern to her. Prayerfully digging further my mind started to focus more on the last two words "willing hands." Being a wife involves work; there are duties that she is responsible for and reflecting on these last two words of this verse I began to see the importance of doing those duties willingly and with joy. Another translation says she "works with her hands in delight." Saint Therese taught that we can serve God in the small things. Maybe one of the messages God is conveying to us through this passage is the importance of finding joy even in the seemingly unpleasant duties of family life. One might grumble about having to clean the house or get the kids to soccer practice or do her husbands laundry but how much better would it be if we saw those chores as opportunities to lovingly serve? How much more joy would it bring to every day if we approached each little bit of work as an act of love for our family and for Our Lord? Proverbs 31 is all about being a good wife. Maybe part of being a good wife is as simple as being joyful about the every day work and duties that are part of this great vocation.