Wednesday, May 10, 2017

May 11, 2017

“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Proverbs 31:27


A Proverbs 31 woman makes guarding her family a top priority. She watches over her family like a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings. And, she builds hedges of protection around each family member.

Over the past two days we have been examining several of those hedges virtuous women build around their family members. They are:

1) Hedges of Prayer
2) Hedges of Personal Relationships
3) Hedges of Principles
4) Hedges of Patterns
5) Hedges of Partnership
6) Hedges of Penalties
7) Hedges of Privileges.

Please allow me to share three more.

Hedges of Pictures

What do I mean by "hedges of pictures"?

I am talking about creating memories that will last in the heart and mind of each child raised by a Virtuous woman. If a child grows up with fond memories and many happy mental images he will not only be healthier but harder to tempt with evil.

Memories and mental images are great but it is also good to document every important event with pictures. You just can't have too many pictures!

Hedges of Pals

A mother who guards her family diligently and closely will be very interested in what sort of people her baby is spending time with. "Watching over the affairs of her household" includes screening the friends of your kids. A virtuous woman will know about the friends of her children.

Looking back on the friends that my mother didn't care for, in retrospect, she was right on every one of them.

Hedges of Pride

I know what you're thinking, but there is a good type of pride!

A friend of mine played football for a high school that had a storied tradition for winning football championships. He recalls that when he first made the team and they gave him his jersey they said something like this, "This the the #5 jersey. And they proceeded to remind him of all the great players in the past who had worn that jersey and what honors they had won."

That is an example of what I am talking about. Build a tradition and a heritage around your family. I remind my children and grandchildren what it means to be a Snyder and what Snyders believe. I want my family to be strong on their identity and embrace it.

So, here are three more hedges that godly mothers build around the hearts and minds and souls of their children.

If you have a mother or wife who is a hedge builder, honor her well!