She Walks in Beauty & Endless Light

By Anita Kraal-Zuidema

She Walks in Beauty and Endless Light is a compilation of essays to celebrate the wise and virtuous woman of Proverbs 31, who has lived on through countless generations of grandmothers and mothers and is alive and well today. I am humbled to know many of these paragons of virtue. You will meet just a few in this small offering, but t

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliant Books Literary
• Release date: Nov 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9781641338950

Anita Kraal-Zuidema

Anita Kraal-Zuidema was born and raised in Holland, Michigan, and earned her BA and Med at Calvin College in Grand Rapids. She is grateful and blessed to have celebrated fifty years of marriage to Allan Zuidema this past summer. They live in Byron Center, Michigan, close by their daughters, Alicia and Amy, their husbands, and seven grandchildren. They all attend the same God honoring church, are active participants, and are grateful to see their family grow in faith and love for the Lord in this place. Anita's first book was titled She Walks in Beauty and Endless Light (2017). Her mission is, as it was then, to leave a written legacy of spiritual journeying in short essay form, showing her love of family and friends and of God and his people. She encourages writers to take a peek inside and drink deeply to refill their own cups.

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She Walks in Beauty and Endless Light

Copyright © 2022 by Anita Kraal Zuidema

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Printed in the United States of America.

Brilliant Books Literary

137 Forest Park Lane Thomasville

North Carolina 27360 USA

Dedicated to my precious grandchildren:

Allison, Reese, Ryleigh, Alaina, Sophia, Sydney, Scarlett

This legacy is for you and all the precious ones who follow you. Walk always in God’s Endless Light. Stand up for your faith when others retreat or attack, and share your gifts with all who need your special touch.

Table of Contents

Author’s Note

Introduction

Night Owls Unite!

Walking in My Daughter’s Footsteps

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Life Lessons from a Dream

Midnight Madness

Bringing Beauty to Our World

Heirloom Ornaments

Surviving or Thriving

In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning

Metamorphosis

Freedom Flight

Ready or Not

The Hands of a Proverbs 31 Woman

Time, Like an Ever Rolling Stream

I Promise Myself

Clean and Beautiful … Inside and Out

Clay Pots and Broken Vessels

She Speaks with Wisdom

Love Those Imperfections!

Mom and the Proverbs 31 Woman

Flowers for the Lady

Women’s Work Is Never Done!

Redeeming the Past

The Power of Love

Field of Flowers

My Space

The Last Lesson of Culture: Serenity

Predators—Natural and Otherwise

What Goes Around Comes Around

About the Author

About the Book

Author’s Note

I was led to revisit a classic piece of English literature, while considering the theme for this book. Written by the famous eighteenth century poet, Lord Byron, She Walks in Beauty awakened me to the similarities between Lord Byron’s lady and the ancient Proverbs 31 ideal woman.

More than fifty years earlier, I had memorized Lord Byron’s verses. Now, with a little jumpstart, I was able to retrieve several lines from long-term memory. This timely connection found a resonance that compelled me to look deeper into two poetic offerings separated by twenty centuries.

Fast-forward another two-hundred years from Lord Byron’s poetic depiction of the perfect mate and here we are, early twenty-first century. On first glance, the two immortalized ladies appear old-fashioned at best, but, looking closer, we discover similarities between them and those of us who wish to be considered virtuous women, even though the world seems to have very little interest in virtue or truth.

With the encouragement of my writing coach, these two magnificent passages came together, becoming the inspiration for the book you now hold in your hands. These are the classic lines from Lord Byron:

She Walks in Beauty

She walks in beauty, like the night, of cloudless climes and starry skies;

And all that’s best of dark and bright meet in her aspect and her eyes;

Thus mellowed to that tender light which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less, had half impaired the nameless grace

Which waves in every raven tress, or softly lightens o’er her face;

Where thoughts serenely sweet express, how pure, how dear their dwelling place.

And on that cheek, and o’er that brow, so soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

The smiles that win, the tints that glow but tell of days in goodness spent,

A mind at peace with all below, a heart whose love is innocent!

—Lord Byron (George Gordon) 1814—

At the same time, I was repeatedly drawn to The Message and its paraphrase of Proverbs 31:10–31. I decided to handwrite these virtues, hoping that would help me to bury them deep inside.

Sometime later, I wrote my own unique paraphrase, fit loosely to my own circumstances. I encourage you to spend some quality time with this lady, using the Scripture version of your choice or the paraphrase you find here. Make it yours; and make it sing for you!

Hymn to a Good Wife

A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds.

Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it.

Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long.

She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing.

She’s like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises.

She’s up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day.

She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she’s put aside, plants a garden.

First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.

She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.

She’s skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking.

She’s quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor.

She doesn’t worry about her family when it snows;

Their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear.

She makes her own clothing, and dresses in colorful linens and silks.

Her husband is greatly respected when he deliberates with the city fathers.

She designs gowns and sells them, brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops.

Her clothes are well made and elegant, and she always faces tomorrow with a smile.

When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly.

She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive.

Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise:

Many women have done wonderful things, but you’ve outclassed them all!

Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised

is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.

Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her with praises!

—Proverbs 31:10–31(MSG)

No need to be literal in your interpretations, ladies. Choose to be a good woman, knowing that a good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds (vs 10). Be trustworthy, generous, ambitious, and know your own worth. Use your talents to serve your family well.

You may not always be brilliant in the words you speak, but talk about worthwhile things, and be kind when you share what you know of others. Keep pursuing the virtue of being a good and noble woman.

Make your home a happy place to be. Use your time wisely and productively. With God’s help, you will experience a sense of accomplishment and be energized for the future. Look beyond yourself and family and let others see and learn what it means to be a godly woman.

Introduction

When we learned Mom had Alzheimer’s, she was well into her seventies.