31 Coverings

So in case you were wondering, the name of this blog, 31 Coverings, comes from the 22nd verse of Proverbs 31, which states, "She makes bed coverings for herself."  Perfectly clear now, right?  No?  Allow me to elucidate...

So the first time I really read Proverbs 31, my first honest thought was: well now, isn't that an awful lot to live up to?  And that's the truth--the description of a Godly woman in this venerable chapter is full of very specific attributes of some fabulous woman whom I have never had the privilege to meet.  Don't get me wrong, I am privileged to know many women who love the Lord, and depend on Jesus Christ as their Savior, but this Proverbs 31 description just seemed unattainable.  Then I began to realize that yes, some of it is contextualized to the culture of the day, but also, I am not called to be that specific woman; I am called to be a Godly woman, one that fears the Lord (still fleshing out that definition too), and this is where I should set my sights.

This last chapter of Proverbs is no afterthought.  It is no mistake (sola scriptura anyone?)  God spoke this chapter of His Word for my benefit, not for my demise or downtroddenness. This woman seeks to glorify God in the tasks of every day, in caring for her home, in speaking the truth in love and wisdom, in raising her children to love the Lord, and in loving and respecting her husband.  My life will most likely flesh out a little differently from this passage, but my ambition is to live in accordance with its intention: to be a woman who fears the Lord, and who makes that love evident in her life and in her words.  I already have, and will continue to, fall short of this purpose (see all of Romans), but I hope to encourage any fellow God-fearing women to live with this description in mind.

Secondarily, I literally began to make bed coverings last year.  Keeping in mind the inner struggle detailed directly above, learning to sew has been a great blessing and gift in my life.  I initially wanted to learn how to make rag quilts simply because my husband hadn't been fond of a single comforter, coverlet, or bedspread we had had in over seven years of marriage. So, my second sewing project after learning to thread my machine was a king size rag quilt for my husband's birthday (not my most carefully considered plan in hindsight).  Nevertheless, after several months, and way past the anticipated deadline of my husband's birthday, I completed that project.  Then I moved on to nap quilts for our children and a few others, which led to toddler-size pillowcases, which in turn led to zippered pillow covers (our then 5-, 3-,& 1-year-old children had drooled on, spilled on, sat on, walked on, or otherwise mauled all the current pillows in my living room, so off I went to find blogs on installing invisible zippers).  Then, my daughter began to compliment me on my sewing and precipitously proceeded to ask for a dress.  (She really knows how to work her audience.)  That led to reading many pillowcase dress tutorials, with a few attempts, and finally I moved to maxi T-shirt dresses, which is where I have landed for the time being (see below if you like).

              

So, 31 Coverings initially refers to my newfound love of sewing, but "Coverings" swiftly moves on as a reminder that all my shortcomings are covered in Christ Jesus.  When I repeatedly fail to live up to my calling to be a Proverbs 31 woman, I remember that there is no righteousness to be found in me, and it is by being covered in Christ alone that I can live a life pleasing to God.  "But no realistic human beings find it easy to love or forgive themselves, and hence their self-acceptance must be grounded in their awareness that God accepts them in Christ." --Richard Lovelace, The Dynamics of Spiritual Life

So, I would be so happy if you would join me as I endeavor "To live 'by faith', [which] is not a general 'positive attitude,' but a deliberate attempt to fire the heart with a knowledge of who we are in Christ and to live consistently with that knowledge." --Tim Keller, Paul's Letter to the Galatians, Participants Guide.  And I might just post a few pictures of my latest sewing projects along the way, too. Blessings to you, woman who fears the Lord!