Small and Simple
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Asked and Answered
Tuesday, September 13, 2022
Queen Vashti
The story of Esther, in the Book of Esther in the Bible, is one of a woman coming into a position of power and eventually saving her people. She came to the kingdom “for such a time as this”. The past few weeks I have turned my attention to how she became queen. Let’s revisit the story.
First of all, this King Ahasuerus or Xerxes (whichever you prefer) was the king of a HUGE region! From India to Ethiopia is a vast amount of land (and water as the crow flies). Three years into his reign he invites all the nobles and princes from ALL the provinces to come and view his majesty. The Bible says “he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honor of his excellency for 180 days”, so for six months he was showing off his riches. At the end of that time, he made a feast for all the people in his palace. The people drank from vessels of gold, each one was uniquely made (we aren’t talking red solo cups here), there was royal wine in abundance. They slept in gold and silver beds, with beautiful swaths of material draped on cords. They walked on marble floors in a variety of hues. While the King is entertaining the men, Queen Vashti had a feast for the women in the royal house.
That’s when things get a little interesting. The Bible mentions (Esther 1:8) that these men were given all the wine they wanted “according to their pleasure” and on the seventh day (Esther 1:10) “when the heart of the king was merry with wine” he wanted Queen Vashti to be brought in wearing her crown to show off her beauty. But she refused.
Let’s stop there for a minute. This is a woman who is married to the most powerful man for thousands of miles around. Was she being a stinker? Was she the picture of entitlement thinking she was beautiful and the queen so really, what would the king do? Was she just too tired after all that entertaining? While these ideas are plausible, there is one more idea that I think should be considered. Maybe she too, was put in the kingdom for “such a time as this.”
She had to have been fully aware of the ramifications possible for refusing to do what the king asked. She was the queen after all. Is it possible that she had a strong sense of self and viewed herself as more than just a display? Is it possible that she knew she would be going into a room full of drunken men and there was no telling what the king would ask of her then? Did she value the women who were the wives of some of the men and didn’t like the idea of being paraded in front of them? Could she have been prompted in advance to say, “no,” because God was working His plan? We don’t really know the reason she refused to go, but for whatever reason, because she did not go to the king, it paved the way for Esther to come in and soon save her people. After all, what if Vashti had complied? There would be no story of Esther.
Whether Vashti was truly spoiled and thought herself “above the law”, or an amazing woman who knew her worth and wouldn’t violate that for a room full of drunk men, we will probably never truly know. Whatever she was, she played the part the Lord needed her to play and because of it we see miracles in behalf of the Jews through lovely Queen Esther.
Sunday, November 29, 2020
Broken
Tough as Nails, Built to Last, Practically Perfect in Every Way. These
slogans and thoughts seem to sum up what we strive for and yet they would
deprive us of what we need most.
I think we underestimate the power and sanctity of being
broken. Something that is whole and perfect does not need the touch of a
Master. It holds its form and performs its function just fine, thank you very
much. I mean really who wants a broken pitcher? No one, it will not hold water.
That was what it was created for, right?
And yet, what if that pitcher needs to spend some more time
in the Creator’s hands? What if that pitcher needs to be held more, talked to
more, adjusted, glued and repainted? What if those cracks and pieces are
essential for that pitcher, not to hold water, but to sit on a shelf and hold
the last flowers a mother picked from her garden and are now dried and
remembered daily by her child? What if instead of holding water, that pitcher
is the unexpected safe place for the family’s meager savings? That brokenness
didn’t change that the pitcher is needed and serves a purpose.
In Japan, they have Kintsugi. It is a tradition of taking a
broken piece, maybe a teacup, and gluing it back together using gold, silver or
platinum dusted epoxy. The idea being that there is beauty in things that are
imperfect, that things should not be wasted, and that we need to accept change.
Those are some pretty powerful and beautiful ideas.
The pharisees in ancient times were, in their minds, pretty
darn close to perfect. They knew the law, they kept the law, unlike the dirty
and flawed beings around them. Yet the Master came to the “flawed” ones and they became more beautiful, worked
into something new. Not wasted. Changed.
I no longer fear being broken, I fear not realizing when I
am broken and needing to spend more time with my Creator, the Master Healer. I
don’t want to be a wasted work. I am His creation. I am broken. I am able to be
fixed by Him. My brokenness does not make me useless or worthless. On the
contrary, I may be more valuable, more pleasing to the eye if I allow more time
in the Master’s hands.
Thursday, October 29, 2020
Will We Betray Him?
Recently we heard a message at church called “Love Your Enemies”
by Dallin H. Oaks https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/10/17oaks?lang=eng.
Which has been rattling around in my mind for several weeks.
It is a great reminder during this very unsure time here in
the United States as an election is looming. And I use the word looming,
because many are feeling a sense of foreboding and dread, some are feeling a
sense of optimism, and some seem to not care but are waiting for a fight. A
fight to defend who was elected. A fight against who wasn’t elected.
I’ve heard people comment about this talk and say, “I hope
they were listening.” Referring to “they” meaning those who don’t agree with
them politically, or the “they” who may start fighting, rioting and looting, or
the “they” who the person considers to be wrong.
In pondering all of this, I can’t help but think of the time
as Jesus was preparing to leave His mortal life, His friends, His family, to
atone for all of our sins. As He was sitting with His friends providing them a
reminder of Him through the teaching and giving of the bread and wine, He said,
“Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me.” And
they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and
another said, Is it I?” Mark 14:18-19.
I have friends on both sides of the political spectrum who
have, I believe, sincerely prayed about who to vote for and received, what I
believe, very different answers. What if
this is because the answer isn’t based on the outcome of an election? God knows
the outcome of the election already. He knows what is going to happen. His plan
is sure and in place.
What if we need to be asking the question His disciples did
at the last supper?
“Is it me?”
Will I betray the God I love and try to serve by being mean,
hateful and vicious to those I disagree with? Will I call others uninformed,
unenlightened, uneducated, stupid or idiots because they didn’t agree with my
political views? Will I carry a grudge in my heart? Will I be constantly angry?
Will I be unforgiving? Will I be pointing the finger of blame of our country’s
ills at a differing political party? Will I forget the commandment to “love
others as I have loved you”?
I don’t think the outcome of this election is the biggest
problem in our country, I think the way we handle it may be.
In just one week’s time I heard of theft, vandalism and
intimidation happening to friends, coming from both political parties. Do we
really think one side is the ‘bad guy’ or can we try to see that any of us
could become the “Judas” of the situation?
Maybe the biggest question we can be asking ourselves right
now is not, “Who will I vote for? Or “Who did my neighbor vote for?” But “How
will I love and treat those who vastly disagree with me?”
Will I still strive to see others the way Jesus would and
treat them the way Jesus would?
Am I suggesting that there isn’t right and wrong? Absolutely
not! And I believe we need to voice that. I am suggesting that maybe we need to
listen a whole lot more. And dig a whole lot more to get to an understanding.
There may be things that we and our “political opponents” disagree on, but that
doesn’t mean we need to become enemies. I have a friend who is constantly
posting his political views. I have been amazed to listen to the banter of his
friends who totally disagree with him and at times it gets heated. And yet, the
friendship and admiration of each other has not diminished. Why? Maybe because
the idea of intelligent debate is a notable and attractive quality. Maybe
because even if they agree to disagree, they still care enough about one
another to recognize that the relationship is more important than the debate.
We may or may not like the outcome of the election. We need
to be considering how our actions afterward reflect on the beliefs we have.
Will we betray the God we love, like Judas? Will we maybe stumble a bit like
Peter, and discover we don’t want to betray Him?
Can we trust God that He will get us through the outcome of
this, just like He does with everything else? If we can trust Him, then let us
not betray Him.
Saturday, March 14, 2020
Coronavirus Prayer
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
40 Day Sugar Fast
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Feasting Time
He had no medical issues at that time that would create this. It wasn't until years later that we discovered he had serious texture issues relating to food and lots of other things he couldn't express until he was older. I had a friend whose mother-in-law was a dietician and spoke to her about my concerns. She gave us some much needed advice and said something that has stayed with me. "He knows how it feels to be empty, but he doesn't know how it feels to be full."
Wow! In a world where abundance of food is readily available and snacks are everywhere, it can be hard to imagine in our first world coziness to comprehend not feeling full.
And yet, do we experience this spiritually?
When was the last time you felt spiritually full?
Was it one day? A moment? An extended period of your life? If so, what led to that?
Was it from reading a passage in scripture that spoke to your spirit so deeply, you felt completely loved?
Was it through the voice of the Spirit whispering just what you needed to hear?
Was it the power of a blessing?
Was it a prayer answered in a way only you could appreciate?
If we are not ever feeling "full" spiritually, we need to!
What prevents that full feeling?
Is it that we lack the spiritual food we need?
Recently I had a day I felt full to overflowing! I could not stop myself from praying in pure gratitude for God's blessings to me, for His strength in my weakness, for the family and friends to be with me in this journey. And now weeks later, I'm trying to remember what led to that. I remember waking and praying and spending time in scripture. I went about all of my daily craziness, carpool, volunteering in the classroom, the store, and in between all of those things I listened to uplifting music. And somehow my spirit just could not be contained. I was literally spilling words of gratitude out.
I think it was that I was feasting. I had been going to Him regularly in prayer and spending time feasting on the word. I was filling up my spirit with good music. I was giving my spirit exactly what it needed and doing it abundantly, and then I was full.
I'm not sure this will happen every day, but that full feeling makes me want more. Of all the cravings I've ever had, this by far is the best one.
Psalms 107:9 "For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness."
Just like filling our bellies takes some work and some time, so does filling our souls. But it is the most satisfying fufillment we will ever have!
If you need me to pray for you in being filled up, respond to this blog and I will get right on it! If you know someone who is empty, pray for them to be filled, get specific! God loves to answer our prayers for each other!