Queen of My Home

Lately I’ve been confronted with the notion of being “queen of my home” at every turn. It’s something, I confess, that I fail in often. To dress, act, and manage like a Queen, with my home as castle for my resident King (Billy of course)! But although I fall short, I’m determined to achieve that queenly status one day. The Proverbs 31 lady was queenly, don’t you think? She was strong and resourceful, managed her household and her time wisely, and dressed beautifully. The heart of her husband safely trusted her; her children called her blessed.

I stumbled across this homemaking blog yesterday. Look at this lady! Doesn’t she look queenly? I’d love to have that gracious air! Well, it’s a goal to work toward, isn’t it? One place to start is in appearance. I usually wear some light makeup (2 minutes) and earrings daily, but my hair is at an in-between and rather frizzy stage. One day I hope it will be long enough to braid again, or wear down. For now I settle for a ponytail. During the chilly winter my uniform has been nice jeans, a warm shirt, and tennis shoes. I’m looking forward to making some simple skirts for spring. There’s little that’s more queenly than the swish of a skirt! Pretty clothes put me in a good frame of mind for cooking, cleaning, teaching, running errands, and all the other things that go with my job description. It makes me feel good to know that Billy will come home to find me looking my best. Does this happen every day? No—but that’s my goal.

I’ve been working for years to act graciously. Some people are naturally born with wonderful people skills. I’m not one of them. Learning to interact with others with finesse and tact takes learning for me. I’m still unsatisfied with where I am in that regard, but with practice I hope that one day I will express the graciousness that I so admire in others. I strive to treat my family graciously as well. It makes me sad when I realize that those outside my home often receive more kindness and understanding from me than my husband and children. I think of the Proverbs 31 woman again. The law of kindness is on her tongue. I want the same to be said of me.

Queens rule well. Do I? Not really. Things are better since I am healthy, and for that I’m grateful. But like Flylady says, Your house did not get like this in a day and it will not get better in a day either. It’s a process. No decision that I make during the day is neutral. Not matter how small, each decision is taking me either a step toward the light or a step away from it. My prayer is that I will make wise decisions about how I use my time, how I mother my babies, how I serve and submit to my husband, so that my home and family, my realm of influence, are governed well. I’m not there yet, but I’m optimistic that one day I will be.

So for all of us queens in training, here’s a little story for our reading pleasure.

When Queens Ride By