What a Sight!

"She makes coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple" Proverbs 31:22 NASB

My grandmother said to me once, "you know, none of my husbands (yes, I know the implication here, but go with it for a minute) ever saw me without my hair curled and my make up fresh". She said this to me after a long day of work (she used to watch my kids for me when I worked outside the house) when I rushed in the house to get out of my suit, wash my face, put on sweats, a dirty tee-shirt and my hair up into a ponytail. I was "made up" all day long and all I wanted to do was be comfortable when I went into the kitchen to cook and clean. I thought she was crazy and even said, "My husband doesn't even like make-up". And didn't think anything of it.
About a year later, while pregnant with Cadel, I decided to put on a dress one evening before Juan got home from work. I curled my hair and put on make up. My husband isn't one of those husbands who doesn't notice small stuff - good and bad - but Juan always notices when something is "different". He walked in the door that night and immediately said, "Wow! You look nice!" And then, ready? He said, "Where are you going?" It was such a rarity to see me "nice" (not in sweats with my hair in a ponytail) that he thought for sure I had plans. I said, "No where!" and he thanked me for taking the time to look nice!
This year my church did a 40 Day Love Dare and one of the dares was to put on something nice, curl (or straighten) my hair and put make up on before my husband got home from work...so, since it was a "dare" sent out to the entire church, I had comfort knowing that I was not alone in looking like I am ready for the gym or to go to bed most of the day, but it did convict me. It convicted me that I don't take care of myself. Even after my thoughtful and astute husband "thanked" me for looking nice one night, I let an entire year go by without even thinking about making an effort to appear put together, and then, only because I was "dared" to do it by the leadership of my church. But why do I do this? Or why don't I take the time to put on nice things? To do my hair or put on make up? Is it because I am just too busy with homeschooling and being a mom of four? I don't know...what does Proverbs 31 have to say about this as a priority in my life?
The Proverbs 31 Woman is busy to be sure. She is a godly mother and a diligent wife. She is a manager of her home and her "servants". She is an entrepreneur and an enterpriser. She is creative and resourceful, but look! Do you see what else she is in verse 22? She is elegant. She is thoughtful about the aesthetics of her bedroom and about the quality of her own attire. After working all day, at the spindle, with her maidservants and out in the city selling to the merchants (oh yeah, and after she walked for miles and miles to make sure she found the best price and best quality food for her family), she is clothed in fine linen. Silk! Silk is how it is translated in some versions. And, it is purple. Purple is always a sign of elegance or royalty, but really, that is because of the time and care that went into making a garment that color. It took very careful and precise measuring and timing to get the proper shade.
Are you kidding me? She isn't covered up to her elbows in dirt and a haggard mess? Not only is she not dirty, but she is set apart. She is elegant and lovely outwardly and inwardly. 1 Peter 3:3 says, "Do not be 'merely' concerned with your outward appearance". I have always read this and given myself permission to be less than put together, but look at the verse! It says, "merely". It doesn't say not to be concerned at all. Of course we are to be concerned with our inward person and the condition of our hearts, but we can (and probably should) be concerned with the outward too!
So, to those of you who always look good - comment below and tell me how you do it :-). But to anyone who is even half as bad as me (I made a family schedule finally, this week, after two years of being home with my kids so that I make sure to get a shower every day), let's challenge ourselves to take care of us too! Just like the loaves and the fishes, we certainly need the Lord to multiply our time that even now doesn't seem enough to complete all of the tasks of our day, but we need to fit that time in there each day. Maybe it is 5 minutes before your husband gets home from work, maybe it is first thing in the morning and a refresher before he comes home, but we should do it. We don't have to look like June Cleaver, with pearls and a polka-dot dress (although, that does seem strangely fun), but take the sweats off and put on some nice jeans; take off that tee-shirt you wore to the gym this morning and put on a cute sun-dress and pull that ponytail out and throw a couple curlers in your hair while you finish up dinner or straighten the living room. A little powder and some lip gloss and we might just feel like a human being again! Try it with me...I'll start tomorrow (ha)!