Esther - My History & My Destiny

Two weeks ago I started a Bible Study with the women in my church. We've lived in Frisco for over 6 years. I have yet to join a group of women who I can confide in and learn with. I've done Bible Studies in the past, I've even done a few here in Frisco. None like this, and none with THESE women. From day one when I went to the first "get to know you" social at Nancy's house I KNEW I liked these girls. I've avoided "getting to know" too many women in my church. Not for any specific reason, I just hadn't found a group I clicked with. Don't get me wrong I LOVE our church and our church family, I just hadn't found my niche. A friend of mine convinced me that I needed to do this next series with her group. I agreed, and jumped in trusting. I've been burned too many times in the past with small group settings where you shared your heart and soul, I was scared, but I trusted my friend.
So I'm doing it. I'm joining Beth Moore in her journey through the book of Esther.



Last week was the first "official" meeting of the study. We watched a video by Beth Moore (gotta love that Southern Woman!) as she introduced the book of Esther. Honestly, the only "history" I have with the book of Esther is from the Veggie Tales videos. I still after a week in the Word have a hard time not seeing the characters as vegetables!! I so enjoyed the lesson last Tuesday night. The quote that stuck out to me the most last week was, "Coincidences are miracles in which God chooses to remain anonymous. God NEVER wants to be anonymous." Meaning there are no coincidences, God's hand is in EVERY thing, EVERY relationship, EVERY situation, EVERY moment. The people I have met in the past 6 months (my whole life really, but it has been OBVIOUS to me these past 6 months) have been placed in my life for a reason. The tapestry is woven every single day, and I realize more and more how God has chosen each thread. Anyways, as I studied Chapter 1 last week I thoroughly enjoyed digging deeper into The Word. It's been a long time since my Bible study has taken me DEEP into the Word, the history, the "rest of the story." So often my studies have been so surface and "topical" that there were some (most) days I didn't even need to open my Bible to "complete" the study. I was feeling dry.
This week we meet Esther. This evening we talked about the Character of Esther, her history, her past, her "meaning." The quote that stuck with me this week, I boxed it, starred it, and drew arrows pointing to it (it made an impression!) is:

You can not amputate your history from your destiny.

For me, this was HUGE!! My "story" is mine. I don't like it sometimes, but I have always believed the words of Jeremiah 29:11 - I prayed this verse LOTS of times this summer in North Carolina as I dealt with issues that I had never spoken about to another human being. As I dealt with losses I didn't understand. As I dealt with a past a history I didn't care for. I know that what has happened in the past, and what continues to create my "history" is not for loss. I know that God knows the plans He has for me. My destiny is built on and because of my history. Without my past, I'd have no future. From last week's lesson:

"When we trust our lives to the hand and pen of an unseen but ever-present God,
He will write our lives into His story and every last one of them will turn out
to be a great read. With a grand ending. And not just in spite
of those catastrophes. Often because of them. Don't just wait and
see. LIVE AND SEE!!"

I loved that!!! I am VERY anxious to get into this chapter of Esther and the following 8 weeks. Oh, man, I'm excited, for the first time in a REALLY long time, to dig deeper into the Word and learn about the woman God wants me to be - not despite my past, but because of it!!

And this evening as we learned about who Esther was, Beth spent a long time talking about Esther being an orphan, not having a mother or a father. I've never really thought of myself as an orphan, but I guess, I am. The section of the video this evening when she talked about the unimaginable sadness when a child looses their mother, it hit home hard. Today is my mom's birthday, she would be 77. She has obviously been on my mind today, and then to hear Beth talk about it in the manner she did this evening, I was....I'm not real sure what I was, but it hung with me.

Happy Birthday, Mom. I love you.