A meek and quiet spirit

This past week in my devotional has been devoted to being a good wife. Now I've been married quite a few years and thought I was doing good. But like everything in my life I know I can always learn more. That is what I did.
The last day of this devotion was about "What is a meek and quiet spirit" and the author wrote about a meeting he was a part of in Kiev. After the morning meeting a large table was set outside on the driveway where all the special guests were seated so they could be served Ukrainian borsch for lunch.
He noticed that an elderly woman, about 75 yrs. old, was the primary person serving lunch to them that day. As she passed by him, he looked into her face and saw the deep wrinkles that testified to a very hard life. This was a woman who had faced many intense challenges in the course of her life.
Yet when he looked into her eyes, he could see that this was a woman who was very strong in spirit. Although it was evident that she had lived a hard and difficult life, it was also evident that she had never been broken by hardship. The look in her faded blue eyes gripped him, for those eyes seemed to literally radiate life from within her.
He watched with amazement at the way this elderly woman carried bowls of borsch to this person, then to that person, and then to the next. It was obvious that she was delighted to serve the pastors who sat around the table. The tender smile that graced her face and the sweet spirit with which she served captivated my attnetion. As he kept watching her, he thought to himself, This woman must be one of the most beautiful and grace ful women he'd ever met in his life.
Finally, he turned to the elderly pastor sitting next to me, and asked, "Who is that woman?"
He looked at him with a sparkle in his eye and glowingly said, "That's my wife."
During the Soviet years, this pastor had been arrested and sentenced to 15 years of prison because of his faith. While he was in prison, his wife had been completely responsible for rearing and providing for their 15 children. As he told him their story, he began to understand why she had such deep wrinkles--a sign of the many hardships she had faced while her husband had been in prison.
Despite her wrinkles and gray hair, this woman's indomitable spirit shone through and was evident for all to see. This was a woman who had lived a godly life. This was no weak woman, but a very strong and very capable woman.
He continued to watch the pastor's wife aas she kept serving the men around the table, smiling graciously as she refilled empty bowls with more borsch. As he oberved her stong but gentle spirit, He thought of Peter's words to woment in 1st Peter 3:3, 4. Whose adorning let it not be the outword adoring of plaiting of the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on the apparel; but let it be tht hidden man ofthe heart, in the which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
He goes on the say later that meek woman is not weak, timid or soft-spoken. The work "meek" is the Greek word praus, a word that describes the attitude of one who is friendly, warm, forbearing, patient, kind and gentle. Although a meek person faces opportunities to react in anger or to get upset, he aor she has chosen to be controlled, forgiving, and gentle. So, "meek" people are individuals who have become skilled at controlling themselves and their temperament. You might say that meekness is power under control.
God highly values a woman who becomes this kind of strong, steady force in the home.
This is the type of person I want to be one that keeps from outbursts of anger, is not offended by comments made by uncaring people. Keeping my temper and remaining calm when storms come.
I may not be able to do this all the time, but I'm sure going to try.

exerpt taken from Sparkling Gems by Rick Renner pp 753,754.