For Such a Time as This

...and who knoweth whether thou art

come to the kingdom for such a

time as this?

Esther 4:14

Esther had won the beauty contest, but she could never know what God had in store for her. One day she was going about her daily routine, a young woman who had been adopted by her older cousin Mordecai. Adoption was the usual thing for extended family members to do when the parents of a child died. Esther was ordered to appear at the palace where the king would later select a new queen from all the young woman of Babylon who had been brought to the palace. Esther must have had physical features much like other young Babylonian women because the king would not have knowingly chosen a Jewess as queen. Esther won the title as queen of the land. Mordecai made the trip to the palace and positioned himself near the main entrance to the palace where he could keep track of Esther.

Through a series of events, evil Haman, a close cohort of the king plotted and planned for the Jews of the land to be annihilated. To this point, Mordecai had instructed Esther to not make known that she was a Jew as he was fearful for her life. However, things changed and an appearance before the king by Esther was necessary here she announced who she really was. In the end, we know that the kind loved Esther so much that a way was made for the Jews to protect themselves, evil Haman was executed and Esther was exalted.

Esther's story is a very real one. It isn't a fairy tale but a true life experience of one young woman who never thought she would one day experience all she did. Your and my story is just as real as Esther’s story. Her true and inspiring story is found in Old Testament Scripture, but our stories are just as important as hers even though ours may not be quite as dramatic.

Do you, like me, ever wonder why you were born into the family you were born into or the hometown we lived in? What about historical time...I always wanted to be an indian princess, living in a tepee out on the prairie somewhere. That was going on during my junior high days. I read every western book our Central School library owned. Although a Christian then, I really didn't understand how God's providence worked in my life. In high school and college, I began to grasp the concept that God was working behind the scenes in my life and that His ways and means held great mystery and yes, often great surprises.

I must tell you that at this present day, I find myself in another “time as this.” We moved here to this wonderful, little mountain town in June 2011. It had been a dream of ours to make this move and felt a perfect peace in coming here. We had originally planned to move in September of 2011 but through a series of circumstances, the move was moved up to that June. My Sunday school class still marvels at this move. If we had come in September, I would not have been their Sunday school teacher or church pianist. All of those offices are filled in August so I would have missed out. They think that “fluke” was pretty cool, despite my trying to tell them that with God there are no flukes. However, little did I know that within a year, our pastor would retire which left a few things he had kindly done in the way of secretarial tasks that now needed someone else to step in to do...enter, stage right...Glendarae. When we made our move, there is no way I could have known the ways I would be called upon to serve the Lord here.

I have thought of historical people who themselves stepped into responsibilities that God had planned for them: George Washington, Corrie ten Boom, Jonathan Edwards, Oswald Chambers, Ronald Reagan and the list could go on and on. They stepped into their own time, just living life as they thought it should be lived with little fanfare. Perhaps some knew they held the destiny of their times in their hands but most were common people doing what they felt God wanted them to do in a very routine way.

No matter how common you and I are, God has you and me where we are “for such a time as this.” If you are presently raising children in your home, you have no idea how your children might one day change the events and times of where they live. That daughter may be the wife of a Billy Graham, or a teacher/missionary in a distant land. Right now, you wipe noses and clean up spilled cereal and wonder if this phase of life will ever end. Believe me, it will but God's will for that child will remain the same through every phase of growing up and you will be the main person in that child's life who loved, trained and yes prayed that child into his or her own “time as this.”

We may have a background responsibility at church that few know about but God knows and the small things we do are building blocks for something bigger in the life of our church. Our part may be small and unnoticed, but we are in place for “such a time as this.” This is one thing that's going to make Heaven so much fun. God will one day reveal the impact of the small and maybe bigger things we did here that counted big time in His plan. I am convinced that the lone church nursery worker who maybe rocks that one baby during a church service that she would love to attend, has no idea what her investment of time and love will mean down the road in the life of that now baby. Her reward in Heaven may be greater than that famous lady who travels, speaking to hundreds and thousands of ladies for it will rest in one's motive and dedication to their individual tasks.

I am convinced that there is a piece of Esther in all of us. We may not be queens in a palace. Perhaps we are housewives or that single lady in her apartment. We may not wear the very finest of expensive attire. Maybe I'm writing to a reader who has a very small wardrobe with no funds to do any better. We may not wear crowns on our heads or be attended by servants who bow before us. You see, all of that was well and good for Esther. God had her in place for the task that needed to be done.

If you and I think back, we can probably remember when God had us in a certain place and time to do a specific task. It may not have been a big or noticeable task but God knew of it's importance. Maybe someone else could have done the job better than you or me but He had us in place to do it for His own reasons. I am convinced as we plod through life day by day that we loose sight of God's purpose in each of our days. We look at others and see how their lives seem to be filled with excitement and achievement and want that for ourselves. However, there are probably folks looking at you and me wishing they could be doing what we are doing.

Esther was in place to save her people. When she first entered the king's palace to be evaluated, she had no idea the real reason as to why she was there, but God did. In those days, women were used for very little, had no rights. They were expected to just accomplish the usual womanly things. Who could have known how all of this would work out for her and her cousin, Mordecai. You see, when we determine to be God's women, it can affect everyone around us, especially loved ones. As you and I sit in our “castles”, may we be aware that God has put us where we are for these specific moments. We may not understand a lot about God's plan right now, but He does. God intends to accomplish His plan through those of us willing to be who we are, and where we are...”for such a time as this.”

Dear Father, I feel so unworthy yet so grateful that You have chosen me to be a part of Your grand plan. I'm not worthy of Your consideration but so grateful that You have placed me where You have for “such a time as this.” Keep me alert to those ways You want to use me and may I have a willing heart to accomplish all You intend even though it may appear to be very daily and perhaps at times even boring. May I find excitement in every day of life knowing You will direct my every step. I love you, Father. Amen.