Looking forward…
Proverbs 31:31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
My husband and I have been house hunting for most of this year. We wanted to buy a place in the country with some land – not too much but not too little. We didn’t want to be close up against neighbours and wanted some peace and quiet. Our children have left the nest and we are empty-nesters now, enjoying our pre-retirement stage. We’re free to do what we want in the evenings and weekends and just do nothing if that suits us.
Not that either of us are the type to just sit in front of TV and do nothing. We are both active people. He enjoys mountain bike riding and is out every weekend, I enjoy my photography and often join him on his trips so I can wander off to enjoy the scenery behind the viewpoint of my camera while he enjoys his rides with his mates.
We finally found the house a couple of months ago. We shift in this coming weekend. The wait was worth it, although we despaired whether we would find the right place.
Because we are in pre-retirement stage we are conscious also of our bodies growing older and the needs that older people have. We wanted to be sure we were close enough for medical support if needed later in years. We had to have a place where the land was reasonably flat so our knees wouldn’t give out on walking steep slopes every day. And God has been good and provided the right place. 2 acres in an area that is nearly all sloped. We think we got the only ‘flat’ piece of land in the area – well almost! 3/4 of the land has lawns and plants and a tennis court. The rest is bushland and sloped at the back of the block. Native birdlife and we’re told some animal life too, which I look forward to seeing.
Now comes the hard part. All the packing. I feel like I’ve been doing it for weeks and that’s probably because I have. I am so over packing and just want it to end. But every day I get stuck back into it, after knocking off from my work early in the day. I don’t want my husband coming home and feeling overwhelmed with how much there is to do. We’re nearly at the end part of it.
When I look at the last verse of Proverbs 31 I wonder how often the P31 woman also felt like this. Like there was no end to the work in sight but she knew she had to press on. And look at how she is remembered all this time later! She did achieve, she did succeed and she earned her reward. She is a woman for us to look up to and admire, and want to be like. She was a hard worker and that hard work paid off.
For me, my reward will be the unpacking in just a few short days and being able to take photos inside and outside our new home. Being able to sit back and enjoy the solitude of the country and enjoy more of the beautiful nature that God made. And knowing that I might just experience a little of what the Proverbs 31 woman felt so long ago for a job well done.
December 17th, 2009 at 3:54 am
You have a blessed husband and family to have a proverbs 31 woman in there life. I hope all went well with your moving in and the patience in your wait is rewarded. May your home be blessed. I am also a very blessed man that my wife is a proverbs 31 woman. Each night I pray that I am the husband she deserves. Thank you for reminding me how special she is.