I Think Mrs. Proverbs 31 Probably Struggled with Motherhood

And I think the title of this post probably has some people thinking I'm a little heretical.

I hope you'll keep reading, anyway.

I've been thinking about Mrs. Proverbs 31 quite a bit recently, and the more I think about her - the more real/normal/relatable she becomes to me. I think in many ways, she was a mom just like me. Her children were probably pretty normal kids. They probably were needy and whined now and then. And she probably got tired of hearing the whining.
I imagine she got frustrated on occasion and had to take her own "time out" to get herself back under control.
Verse 16 of Proverbs 31 says she planted a vineyard, and I wonder if now and then she might have lingered a little longer than necessary in the vineyard - just to enjoy the peace and quiet. You know, the same way you and I have lingered a little longer than necessary in the bathroom?
C'mon. Admit it. You've done it, too! *wink*
And as I read about all the amazing things she did, part of me has to believe there were probably nights when she fell into bed exhausted, crying herself to sleep at the thought of going through it all again tomorrow.

I can hear your question now. It's the same one I had. If this is true - if Mrs. Proverbs 31 struggled at times with motherhood - why don't we read about it in Proverbs 31?
That's a great question.
And I believe the answer is: Because she was not defined by her struggle.
Mrs. Proverbs 31 didn't focus on her challenges. Rather, she feared the LORD. That means she had a profound trust in God. Everything about her revolved around her faith in the God who loved her, and that impacted who she was and what she did. I believe she saw her struggles as opportunities to grow closer to God, rather than as reasons to despair.
She was defined by her faith in God - and that made all the difference.