Proverbs 31: 24 - 25

Proverbs 31:  24-25
24 - She maketh fine linen, and selleth it;  she delivereth girdles unto the merchants.
25 - Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in the time to come.

First of all, I'm glad to be back on this series of Proverbs 31, after taking April off for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  Regardless if you are re-visiting, here for the first time, or hanging around after the show as it were, welcome!  I'm glad you are here!
OK.  Here we go.
A Proverbs 31 woman is able to make beautiful things with her hands (or nowadays her keyboard as well - for the tech-savvy amongst us).  It is an honorable profession to be able to create things with our abilities and knowledge and to receive just compensation for our efforts.  Sometimes the money must go for the support of the family; sometimes items may be donated to charitable organizations for fundraising, or as gifts for family and friends.  Each person in our society has an innate need to be able to contribute and receive in our society and economy.  The rewards may be concrete or intangible; the fact that it is there is often, but not always, more important than what form it takes.
As P31 women receive value for their creations (even if it seems to come only from God), so must they put forth their best effort, moment by moment.  Everyone has good days and bad days, but when you exercise a muscle, it becomes stronger.  When you practice strength of character and honor, your ability to exhibit and use these qualities also increases.  At this point, some will say, "But I can't do as much or as well (or as whatever) as so-and-so can.  We're not running against each other.  As long as we put forth the best effort we can at the moment it is required, that is 'enough'.  
Even if we are starting from 'ground zero', the important thing is to start.  I used to work with adults who had mental retardation and developmental disabilities.  Some of them may take years to learn the skill of pulling a comb through their hair one time.  Most of us do this many times a day without much thought.  But the moment they do this, even one time, means as much to God as Moses parting the Red Sea.  It doesn't matter what level we are on when we start our journey, we just need to put one foot in front of the other until we get there.
Many years ago, I started going to a gym before working in the International Department of a bank in downtown Salt Lake City.  There were Stairmasters and that was my 'weapon of choice'.  The first day, I aimed for 5 minutes of exercise.  I know, laughable, right?  And I was winded and sweating at the end.  But I did those 5 minutes every day that week.  The next week I did 10 minutes.  Towards the end of the week, it would seem to be too easy almost, and part of me wanted to bump up my time, but I held to my plan.  After many weeks, I was up to 45 minutes a day.  If the gym was busy on a given morning, maybe I could only do 30 minutes due to a time limit.  But I did my best each day.
When you have strength and honor as your clothing (or an essential part of your daily routine), you can have the satisfaction that only comes from giving your best.  You don't have to worry what each day will bring, because you have laid the groundwork and prepared for eventualities.  Sometimes bad things do happen to good people, the unexpected storm of life takes us by surprise.  Depending on the situation, we may even need a period of time to grieve.  But the skills we have developed, the honor with which we conduct ourselves, will have become second nature by that time, and when the right time to proceed appears, we will be packed and ready to go.