Today’s gust post is by Stacey from Brain in Trainin
For Such a Time
Its the Advent Season and our family readings take us to Esther. My daughter opens her Bible and shares the bread of life with us all. I pull up a chair at the table, hungry…
…today, the soul nourishment is a gentle reminder… for such as time as this.
The words send my mama mind on a journey of reflection over the last year. The year where I resolved to be holy in the here….envisioning a serene journey.
But my life took a change of course when I was presented with my Esther moments:
an instant gratification husband needing to know I believe in him
a willed son requiring direction to become a strong man
a daughter developing a beautiful heart rather than beautiful handwriting
a father in law with life-strangling illness and miraculous healing
a job opportunity ministering to the addicted un-loveables in my community
Esther was reminded…as am I…
You are not created for your own glory, but Mine..at this perfect moment
Mordecai delivers the message to Esther…my daughter reads the message to me.
The calling demands a response..
acceptance
preparation
courage
determination
And the resolve to be holy in the here spreads across my days…accepting calling and change, preparing heart and mind by feasting on God’s words, taking courage in His plan, and determining to follow after Him…no matter the cost or uncertainty.
The load hits with conviction: all this requires sacrifice…humble sacrifice. Yes, Esther was beautiful, yes she was queen, yes she was created for such a time, and yes Mordecai encouraged and motivated. But it all came down to her sacrifice of will, embracing the hard and daring ordainment…taking captive all thoughts of doubt.
Esther approached the throne of her husband King as if it was the throne of God himself…giving her all, regardless of the outcome. She was God’s plan A for His people and she lived it.
What if…
what if all was the throne of God…?
Humbly sacrificing my will, I crave God’s Plan A for my life: the encouraging wife, the cultivating mother, the truth-speaking counselor. And my everyday tasks become the alter of the almighty God himself…a doubtless confidence in knowing I’m created for each moment and that it requires a lowly offering of myself. {paradox, I know}
In a season of resolve that comes with a new year, perhaps embracing our purpose reveals the miraculous glory of God. For we do not remember Esther for her beauty alone, but for her bold willingness to sacrifice herself to earn atonement for her people…God’s people. The outward glory of God from an internally beautiful Esther.
And the cry of my heart swells…
confidently embracing purpose, internally beautiful submission…
All Glory to God …in my Esther moments….
(Perhaps in a quiet moment of reflection, you might consider your Esther moments and how God would have you respond when they are presented…even when not serene or how you envisioned them.)
Stacey homeschools her two kids in the Midwest, blogs at brainintrainin, and tweets as @StaceyRuberg
It’s easy for us to forget that we have a big calling in our day to day lives. We often are caught up with the reality of cleaning and changing diapers. We really do need to remember that, even in these seemingly small moments, God has put a call on our lives for each moment. We won’t know the impact until much later. Thank you for the reminder.