"Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all "
This is the phrase that the husband utters about his wife and her value to him, to the family, and to the community. She is the most amazing woman he can imagine.
How can he say this? Did he actually believe that his wife is a harder worker than every other woman in Jerusalem or the world? Has he been measuring all the work of other women and, yes, his wife comes out ahead on the productive scale? He can say it subjectively in that this woman has done more than any other woman for him, for his family, and for his reputation in the community. He is not waiting to tally up all the production and work of other women and measure that against the work of his wife. He realizes that no other woman has done what this woman, his wife, has done. She excels them all.
One of the things I must help men see is that they must stop comparing their wives with other wives. They must look at their own wife’s contribution to them and their family. It is only this internal look that will bring the proper perspective and encouragement for her to keep going.
She has not been selfish and self-absorbed but instead has thrown herself into the marriage, family, and circumstances that she found herself. It is possible for the foolish wife to pick at where her marriage is not perfect and how she has not gotten the best deal in this or that thing. But the virtuous wife does not do that. She throws herself into the life she has been given and she makes a great life out of it.
I must say that this truly does describe my wife. She is the most wonderful and gracious woman God could have possibly given to me. She is everything God promised me when He pointed out how wise and godly she was when we first started dating. I cannot tell you how much she means to me and how much she ministers to me. She has been God's instrument in so many ways to refine and improve me. She has been and continues to be an exceptional mother to our girls. There could not be a better wife and mother for this family than my wife. For that I praise God for giving her to us and her for her diligence and character.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz