Ever Fashionable Sack Cloth, Esther 4

As we learned earlier, it was the King's edict that all Jews would be put to death - young and old. Mordecai tore at his close and put on the very fashionable sackcloth. He wailed, drawing much attention to himself. And he wasn't alone. There was lots of fasting, weeping, and wailing.

It makes me wonder what we would do if given the same news. All Christians in Illinois would be put to death - babies, young and old men and women - everyone. What would I do? Fight city hall? Move to Ohio? Go into hiding? Renounce my faith?

What if you had the perfect cover. No one knew you were a Christian (or a Jew, in this case.) You lived in the Governor's mansion (King's harem) where you had a very special job as maid (one of the favorites of the King.) Why would you tell anyone you were a Jew and take the chance of getting killed?

Esther was very upset to hear her uncle was going around half naked so she sent him some
clothes but Mordecai had more on his mind than fashion. He was praying for a nation. He told Hathach, a man assigned to take care of Esther's needs, everything that happened.
He showed Hathach the edict for annihilation. He told her how much money Haman promised to pay into the royal treasury. Mordecai had a plan. He wanted Esther to go to the King and beg for mercy and plead for her people.
The problem was this: No one could approach the King without being called. If a person did, he or she would be put to death. The only exception to that rule is if the King held out his gold scepter. The life would be spared then.
Esther may have been one of the King's favorites but she hadn't been summoned for a month. What were the chances that she would be called on now? There is no way. Messages were sent back and forth from Mordecai to Esther and Esther to Mordecai.

Mordecai laid it on the line - told her the truth. He didn't hold back, relative or no. "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape.

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish.

And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (12-14)

Esther may have been young. She may have been a woman. But she was also smart and very brave. She knew he was right. She could die either way.

¹⁵ Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ¹⁶ "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."
The fate of the Jewish nation rested on this young under-cover Jewish woman.

The plot is laid out. Lives are on the line. Esther has made up her mind. And Mordecai is praying. Will God find favor with this young woman and save the Jewish nation?

Of course, we know He did. But just imagine with me again:
What if this were you and your family? Your kids? Your parents? Renounce your faith or die! What would you do? What would I do?

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Friday Fiction - The Quarter

This week's Friday Fiction is hosted at Beach Reads. There you will find lots of links to really great fiction. I hope you enjoy this story. I believe I got an Editor's choice on it in January of 2008. It's just a fun story. Oh, the picture is one of Mari's twin grandson's. I went over their names over and over again - but still I get confused. It's either Afton or Anthony. Such cute little kids that her kids, Jacob and Valerie have. Thank you guys for letting me use the picture in my story. It's a perfectly AWESOME snot bubble that Mari took for me:) and one of the boys so graciously made for me. What creativity! Such talent. I see great things ahead for these little boys! Gotta love snot bubbles (and obviously I do when you read this story;)

The Quarter

“Jessie, whatcha got there?”

“Nuffin.”

“Sumpin’s in your hand.”

“Mama said it’s a quarter.”

“One quarter? Lookie what I got!”

With mischievously gleaming eyes, my big brother Luke held out two closed fists. My eyes widened in disbelief as he opened them with a flourish. There they were: two, not one but TWO bright shiny copper pennies. The sun came in just then and hit those pennies just right, making them glow, which caused my heart to beat in a strange double-time fashion. I felt an odd sort of longing fill me from the outside in. I had to have those pennies.

“Lukie, you want my quarter?”

“Nah, Pops gave me these and told me to NEVER give them away.”

“Never?”

“Yep, that’s what he said – never.”

“Okay,” I mumbled with tears filling my eyes. I started to walk away in defeat, head low to the ground, despising my one, lonely quarter held in my hot, sticky hand.

“Don’t cry Jessie.” Luke put his arm around me and brushed away my tears with his sleeve. “Ya know what? I’ll trade you my two shiny pennies for your one old sticky quarter.”

“Really? What ‘bout Pops? Won’t he be mad?”

“Nah, I guess not. As long as you take care of ‘em. He wouldn’t want me to make you cry or nuffin’.”

The deal was sealed. I handed over my quarter and he, in turn, surrendered his pennies to me. Luke ran off giggling. That alone should have made me get a sick feeling in my gut but no, the sick feeling came when Mama gave me a sucker and I had no hands to hold it.

Later that night, as I was getting ready to take off my play dress, I remembered my pennies and the wonderful trade I had made. When Mama gave me the sucker I put my two shiny pennies in my pocket. My heart once again skipped and scampered in my chest as I remembered how my big brother Luke had traded me just because I shed a few tears. I was thinking that was a good trick to remember.

I eagerly scooped my hand into my pocket to retrieve my treasure. Once again big tears formed in my eyes and soon flowed down my cheeks. After the tears started flowing the wailing began, which brought Mama and Pops and Luke running into my room.

Pops scooped me up off my feet and held me close. “Jess, honey, what’s wrong?” Pops always called me Jess, honey.

Luke watched in amazement as a big snot bubble formed from my runny nose. Mama watched this in horror. Pops did what Pops does best – he popped it of course, trying to make me laugh.

Mama took her handkerchief and dried my eyes and wiped the popped snot bubble from my nose and face. “Jessie, girl,” (Mama always called me Jessie, girl,) “why are you crying, honey?”

I sniffed up extra snot in my nose and swallowed which gave me a sick feeling as it slithered down my throat and into my stomach. There, safe in the arms of Pops, I shared my woes. “I losted my pennies!” That’s as much as I got out before the tears began to flow once again.

Mama wiped my eyes and nose and asked me the question to end all questions. “Jessie, girl, you didn’t have any pennies, remember; I gave you a quarter.”

“But,” I started in between the sniffs and cries, “Lukie traded me my quarter for his two pretty pennies.”

Pops and Mama gave Luke “The Look” to end all looks. Luke hunkered down, eyes on the floor, guilt plastered on his face.

“Jess, honey, where were the pennies?”

“In,” sniff, “my,” snot bubble, “pocket.” Pops stuck his hand into my pocket and found a big hole where the pennies should have rested.

Mama and Pops once again looked at Luke and Luke, if possible, was even lower to the ground, looking even more guilty. He put his hand into his pocket and pulled out my two shiny pennies.

“I found them. I was gonna give ‘em back. Really I was”

That day, not only did I find out that tears solves a multitude of problems when it comes to boys, I also found out that one quarter is worth more than two pennies.

You know what Luke found out? Teasing his little sister causes a sore behind and makes you lose the two cents you started with.

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Royal Spa Treatment, Continuing Esther

Remember the last entry? We talked about King Xerxes and Queen Vashti. Queen Vashti lost favor with the King when she would not obey his decree. Now she was out but King Xerxes was out, too. Vashti was beautiful and he regretted listening to the counsel he had gotten.

But that same counsel got it together and found a woman just as beautiful or maybe even more so. She had to marinate for a year before she could even see the King. This was the custom. In order to be part of the harem, yes, ummm... I said harem, she had to be treated to various beauty treatments. I know, it sounds like a really rough year:) But this was something the young Jewish girl, Esther, was not used to, not at all. The only reason she even followed through with the plan was because her adopted father, Mordecai, said to. He believed even then that Esther was to be used by God.

Because Queen Vashti stood her ground and made the King mad, a young Jewish girl now found favor with the King, thus changing the way the history books would be read. Who knew that God would use a teenage girl to save a whole nation? But I have now gotten ahead of myself again. For now, she is a young girl, enjoying a year at the royal spa.

What are you marinating for? What plan does God have for me? Can we enjoy the spa treatment and not worry what's ahead for now?

'Lord, we want to follow Your plan always. Even if it looks like we're spinning our wheels, maybe you are preparing us for big things ahead. I, for one, want to enjoy this time of marination. I want to continue to marinate in Your Word. I want to be ready when You call my name.'

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This and That....

This week hasn't been very good for me. I've not felt well at all. Hopefully things will be better tomorrow and I'll be back to work. Meanwhile, since I'm just laying in bed, I thought I would get myself into a little bit of trouble;)

My good friend Shirley, from Sunny Glade's blog has written and published her very first interview where she just happens to be interviewing my very good friend, Mari. To read this, click here: Mari's interview. Shirley and Mari did a very good job. I am so proud of them both. AND, they are both such very good friends to me.

Also, they both have had a really good day today. Shirley got another editor's choice this week on her story, Fire and Ice and Mari got her 3rd editor's choice and is now moving up to master's. Here is her link to Confessions of a Chocoholic. It's an awesome story.

Mari just had a birthday this week, too, so now, she's my very best 'older' friend:) She's a whole five months older so I will make sure I let her remember that.

Alright, I've tooted my friend's horns loud enough for now. I hope you take the time to read some really great writing.

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Be Careful Who You ask...; Esther 1

I need to go backwards in Esther now. I jumped ahead with my last blog:) The main personalities in chapter 1 and a small bit of 2 is:

• King Xerxes
• Queen Vashti
• The King's Counselors, wise in legal matter

King Xerxes chose a period of six months to open up his Palace to show off his great wealth. At the end of that time, he threw a week-long party Eating and drinking was the top priority. At the same time, Queen Vashti was throwing her own party for the women. On that seventh day, the king was giddy and drunk and ordered his Queen come to him so he could show off her great beauty but the woman refused. Imagine that:)

Side note: Joanne at An Open Book shared Jewish lore about Queen Vashti. It was said that she was told to come out only in her crown. No wonder she didn't follow her husband, the King's orders.

This was unheard of. No one dared go against an order of the great King Xerxes. He was embarrassed in front of his guests. He asked his counselors who took care of his legal matters what he should do. They gave him this advice:

"It's not only the king Queen Vashti has insulted, it's all of us, leaders and people alike in every last one of King Xerxes' provinces. The word's going to get out: 'Did you hear the latest about Queen Vashti? King Xerxes ordered her to be brought before him and she wouldn't do it!' When the women hear it, they'll start treating their husbands with contempt. The day the wives of the Persian and Mede officials get wind of the queen's insolence, they'll be out of control. Is that what we want, a country of angry women who don't know their place? (Esther 1:16-18)

A country full of unruly women - that couldn't happen. So it was decreed that Queen Vashti would be banned and another woman replace her, one that knew her place. This is what King Xerxes had to say, "Every man is master of his own house; whatever he says, goes." (Esther 2:1)

But you know what? When he sobered up and realized what he did, he regretted it. I'm thinking he really should have found better counsel.

I've sought out bad counsel before. Have you? When we want someone to agree and tell us we're right - we know who to go to, don't we? And when we want truthful answers, we avoid those people and go to the ones that are faithful and honest and truly know our hearts and who will disagree with us even though we may get mad at them for a bit. Have friends like that? I hope so. I sure do.

The King regretted acted so quickly on the advice of his counselors. Now he lost his beautiful Queen and would have to start all over again:) Oh boy... What a problem. But anyway...

I say today, be careful who you seek counsel:

• Make sure they are wise and Godly.
  
• Find someone who will take your chin and point it up towards God.
  
• Don't act too quickly and regret your decisions later.
  
• Stay in the Word.
  
• Pray.
  
• Seek Godly counsel.
  
• Be careful who you ask....

(All verses taken from The Message)

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