Coffee Talk // for such a time as this

I have always appreciated the Old Testament and the hard lessons that it shares with us. I have always loved the stories of Esther and Ruth particularly. I know there's nothing unusual or special about that but I learn so much from those two particular women. They just connect with me. Esther because I have always thought that I was a strong woman made to stand above the crowd and Ruth just because of the precious love story of loyalty to her mother in law and a God she didn't really know moving into the love story that to me is quite a fairy tale. I never really got into the Disney princesses just because they were so far-fetched but with Ruth, I know that she was a real woman, a true story with not an ounce of fake in it.

Esther is kind of the same for me. I love the movie that came out in 2006, One Night with the King. I don't get into a lot of the chick flicks but I just loved that one. I love the thought of the king actually falling in love with Esther just because she was such a righteous young lady - she stood out from the others. I love that in the Veggie Tales version of the story Esther shares her heart with her cousin Mordecai saying, "I didn't even want to be queen. Why do I have to do this?" and Mordecai just encouraged her with the idea that maybe there is a reason...




For such a time as this...I love that. And no matter what, it applies. My oldest son fell on Sunday and broke his arm/wrist. It was a clean break, far enough from the growth plate that his arm won't be affected as it grows (thank Jesus) but he has a sling and will get a cast next week. I have felt strangely about it. Peaceful, some thoughts of "oh you're a bad mom" but mostly I just get peace. As I was talking to my mom this morning I was sharing with her about our younger son's attitude changes since Bennett has been laid up and our little Parker is learning that he won't always have as much attention as he wants. We aren't giving him any less attention but his brother is receiving just a little more than usual and Parker is just not liking it. Exercising for January/February I suppose.

The saying also came to me after going to Wednesday night with Andrew a couple of weeks ago. I went looking for the women's Bible study that is supposed to be there and didn't find it. I ended up sitting in the back of the youth center with Parker and a girl from my home church came in all by herself. Because I was there I was able to connect her to the right people so she wasn't just lost in the crowd that night. "For such a time."

On Sunday, Andrew and I dropped the boys off in Sunday school and we went to sit and fellowship with one another in the cafe until service began. As we were sitting there we had several different people come up to chat but one happened to be the father of a young couple that we had been thinking of inviting to a small group that we have been praying about starting. He was very enthusiastic for it particularly since they just found out his daughter will be having their first baby!

There is always some reason that something is going on. Some reason that you have been placed in the situation/circumstance/issue/blessing/struggle that you have been handed. It is our job to look for our reason. Like Esther, she was placed where she was that she might intervene for her people. Maybe we can't see it for ourselves but if we look around and confide in our wise and Biblical friends/mentors/parents maybe they can shed some outside light on our immediate situation.

What are you facing today that might have bigger meaning than you realize?

Go ahead and click on the print to be brought to the Google Drive file and download it for yourself. The cute little laurel image there is from this sweet girl - I found her link on Pinterest. They are free images that she was so generous to share!
I hope you enjoyed our coffee talk and that it encouraged you where you are at today.
Until next time,
<3 Kayla