Page 65 - No Apologies

still night and gives food to her household and portions to her maidens. She
considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard.

These verses reveal the woman’s involvement in every aspect of food preparation in
the same way that she was involved in every aspect of manufacturing clothing for her
household. The woman would choose a field, plant it, harvest the crops, and prepare
wholesome and savory dishes for her family. The godly woman worked with her hands, and
was not idle.

Proverbs 31:27, 31
She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness...
Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

As society has been changing, and women have abandoned the home to seek outside
employment, that work formerly done by the woman has been delegated to others. Women
have less time at home, so they look for shortcuts. They buy clothing already made for
themselves and their families. If they do cook at home, they often purchase prepared, or
partially prepared foods such as baked breads, and Hamburger Helper. The nutritional
value of these products is vastly deficient from those whole foods that were formerly
prepared by women who were keepers at home. The result is seen in a myriad of health
problems among family members.
The nutritional value found in home baked breads that are made with freshly ground
whole grains is vastly superior to the loaf of prepared bread one will find at the grocery
store. I know from personal experience that there is a lot to learn to educate oneself in the
preparation of healthy, nutritious and satisfying foods. I have discerned the difference in
my own health as I have abandoned the Standard American Diet (SAD) and have returned
to cooking my meals from scratch. I make my own soups, bake some of my own breads, and
have eliminated the highly processed foodstuffs that used to make up the bulk of my diet.
Another realm of responsibility for the homemaker is providing healthcare. The
woman has long been involved in acting as nurse and chief health proponent of the family.
This is closely related to her role in food preparation. Hippocrates, the Greek physician
from whom the Hippocratic oath is derived, said, “Let food be your medicine, and medicine
be your food.” There is a wealth of naturopathic remedies for sickness and injuries. God has
provided mankind with plants and herbs for healing. Women used to pass along this
knowledge from generation to generation.
Many women have also abandoned child rearing. Many women are employed when
they become pregnant, and take only a few weeks off from work after bearing their child.
Children are left in the care of daycare facilities, babysitters, or nannies while the mother
works outside the home. The age in which children enter public school has been dropping
as the government provides earlier programs for children with kindergarten, and pre-
kindergarten programs. The mother has given over the role of educating the children to
hired “professionals,” and the results are tragic for both the parents and the children. It has
ever been God’s order for parents to take personal responsibility for the training and
education of their children.

Proverbs 1:8
Hear, my son, your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching...