Still Esther

I'm still studying Esther. Anybody else?

I was listening to Lesson 6 today. I'm amazed that the book is not just a good story, not just a true story, but that it is a real literary masterpiece. I like it when someone takes it apart and helps me to see what makes it so.

I like how the story turns on Xerxes' sleepless night. Not Esther's bold approach of Xerxes, or the banquet when she exposed Haman. But on a sleepless night when God brought Mordecai to Xerxes' mind.

It is such a temptation to think that everything depends on me. To wring my hands and think how am I going to fix this or that problem? How am I going to control this situation? Almost like I think someone expects me to!

When all I really need to do is to be faithful, and leave all the outcomes up to God, Who is sometimes the source of sleepless nights, and Who is more than capable of accomplishing His will.

Session 4

If you haven't listened to Session 4, you need to make sure you don't skip this one. Wow.

Who knows?

We are wise to force ourselves to keep differentiating between simple inconveniences and authentic tribulations. The more detached and self-absorbed we become, the more we mistake annoyances for agonies. It happens to all of us.

The situation in Persia was certainly an authentic tribulation, nothing like the troubles I have known!

I love the "Who knows?" part. "Why is a Jewish woman the Queen of Persia at such a time as this? Must it not be providence? Must it not be God?" I would like to fulfill my destiny as Esther did, even if it's not so dramatic.

Who knows? Maybe I was placed here for such a time as this. Maybe you were. Maybe all of us were.

For such a time as this!

This is my favorite part of all!

Mental torment in Esther

I found interesting Beth's comments about the mental torment that Haman inflicted upon the Jews. One day, it is announced that in 11 months they will all be slaughtered. So not only do you all die, you have 11 months to dread this, because of course the laws of the Medes and Persians cannot be changed.

Although my life has never been threatened, I could relate to Beth's comments about the devil tormenting her as her daughter and grandson left.

. . . I. . . watched them drive off toward their home in another city, I realized how much the devil would relish tormenting me with fear over their safety. He would love nothing better than to see me forfeit my joy as a grandmother by taunting me to futile speculations. (Rom. 1:21)

I understand well how fear and worry can consume you. Especially when you look around, and know that bad things do happen. People who love God are not immune from suffering. My future could hold all kinds of challenges I am totally unaware of right now.

Our comfort is not the certainty that none of these things can happen to us, but that whatever the future holds, our God holds us in His hand, nothing takes Him by surprise, and He will give us what we need to meet whatever challenge is ahead.

But for now, my life is uncomplicated by suffering. What do I do with that? I need to live with a spirit of gratitude for the blessings, and a generous, compassionate heart toward those who do suffer.

dear Esther

I had not really thought before that Esther and Mordecai were the Jews who had not gone back to Jerusalem, even though it seems they could have. They stayed in Babylon. Interesting that Esther could hide the fact that she was Jewish. It seems they were not openly distinguishable from the surrounding culture. . . a lot like us!

We too can become so steeped in our culture that we are almost indistinguishable from the world. We too can lose our sense of identity and forget who we are. . . one of God's purposes in this journey is to help us recapture both our identity and identification as His children -- not so we can be obnoxious but so we can be influential.

'nuff said!

Week 1-2

sorry i'm so very behind on posting! but i have been reading, and i thought i'd at least catch up on the first two chapters:

week 1

i thought i might think this was a little slow-moving, but i ended up liking how she described everything and lingered in the first few verses to help make the story come alive. i also thought it was challenging to think about how people can really inflame each other to make stupid decisions, such as King Xerxes advisors playing into his embarrassment and encouraging him to do something really stupid and rash. i think we do this a lot, in smaller ways than royal edicts of course, but just in joining someone who is really mad about something and instead of helping the situation we just fan their anger.

week 2

i've never thought about the story of esther in a reality show way, like the bachelor, or america's next top model, but the comparison was interesting i thought since it really was just tons of girls trying to be the most beautiful/appealing. yikes. those reality shows are painful to watch, how much more horrifying to actually be in! several of my clients at work have being in america's next top model as their highest goal in life. one of them actually made it pretty far through the audition process this year, but i don't think she made it to the actual show. i could hardly believe how skeletal she has become the last time i saw her, all in the pursuit of being the most "beautiful"! anyways, sorry for the tangent, but i liked how the book pulls out the distinction that esther "gained kindness"- not just something that happened to her. she didn't just "happen to be" the most beautiful/charming/pleasant girl in the crowd, she actively Did something different than the other girls. this i think makes esther a little more human than she can become sometimes when i think about this story.

Ok that's it for now - not gonna lie, i'm a bit behind on week 3! that whole puppy thing is rocking my schedule! but i'll catch up... i do like doing this book together!