In my heart. In my home. In my church.
It is a time when I wait with great anticipation for the coming of the Christ-child, Jesus, that beloved baby who fills the mangers in nativity scenes on lit up mantles and on front yards for all to see.
The time of Advent is characterized as different from the seasons before and after it. The thanks continues but the giving is joined with receiving.
The words of Mordecai to Esther ring loud in my quiet moments with the Lord.
FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS
I remember to give thanks for this season.
I enter in each week with a heart expectant to draw near to His presence.
This season is broken down into weeks
where my purpose is:
to watch and wait with hope for the fulfillment of the prophesies of old,
to remember that the Lord is faithful and reflect on His faithfulness in biblical history and in my own past,
to believe His Word and in those things I cannot see and that ALL things are possible because I believe and trust in a God who will never forsake me,
and to embrace redemption and restoration through the Christ-child of the nativity story who was born to bear my sins.
And so for such a time as this I will enter in to the reason for the season.
But FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS permeates even deeper than the whole of the season or the weeks of the month.
For Esther, it meant risking her life by entering into the king's court to save the lives of her people.
In the moments of our days, whether long or short, hard or full of joy, we were created for such a time as this . . .
to feed our families
to release the tears of grief that will water roots of faith
to be a blessing to another
to toil through time for the coming harvest
to teach, to love, to hug, to encourage
to apologize and ask for forgiveness
to humble ourselves to honor another
to dust and sweep and offer hospitality.
In our moments, when we realize we were created for such a time as this
EVERYTHING CHANGES.
With open hands let us embrace those moments created specifically for us
because God has a plan,
HE ALWAYS HAS A KINGDOM PLAN
even when the moments seem impossible
when faith is small
when hope is buried
when strength seems to fade
when we forget about His goodness
when the brokenness seems unrestorable and unredeemable.
Esther's brave act of obedience changed the course of an entire human race.
Let's open our hearts and minds and eyes and ears up to that eternal perspective and live like we matter, like God really can make a difference through you in the moment
because you were created
FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS.
Love, Rachael