5.27- Sheila was a woman who worked hard and played hard.

 5.27-

Sheila was a woman who worked hard and played hard. Her favorite play was games with her two grandchildren at this table in Denver.

It was not uncommon for her to start her day early in the morning pulling weeds out of her yard and when things warmed up she would go in to cook up something delicious for a progressive dinner with 20 couples visiting 4 homes and ending at our house at 9 pm and visiting with one or two couples till one am.

Then the next morning she would prepare waffles for Jared and Jordan.

Then open the computer and edit the bulletin and fold twenty envelopes with a month's worth of bulletins to send to prisoners.

By mid afternoon she might be headed to a baby shower or a wedding shower to communicate her love for life in the family of God.

I saw this picture and remembered that when we moved down here into the house we bought eleven years ago, she had a way she wanted the boxes packed so that she would know where the pictures were and the various important memories would not be lost.

She worked hard and played hard and though the world will probably get the bad news that being a wife and mother and grandmother is not a high calling, she did not see it that way and neither does her husband.

Proverbs 31.

10 An excellent wife, who can find her?
For her worth is far above jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She looks for wool and linen,
And works with her [g]hands [h]in delight.
14 She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15 And she rises while it is still night
And gives food to her household,
And [i]portions to her attendants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From [j]her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She surrounds her waist with strength
And makes her arms strong.
18 She senses that her profit is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the [k]distaff,
And her [l]hands grasp the spindle.
20 She [m]extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And [n]supplies belts to the [o]tradesmen.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the [p]future.
26 She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the [q]teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the activities of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29 “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who [r]fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the [s]product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.

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