16:47.

Esther.

One of two women of the bible to have a book named after her life, her deeds, her name, her legacy.

Admittedly, oft, I don't really know how to cite inspiration from the books of Ruth and Esther. I found it easier to cite Debra as an example of courage and leadership, or Rahab as a inspiration of pure faith, or Mary or Mary Madagalene or the unnamed Samaritan woman by the well... for their various deeds and the characters unveiled.

But Esther... I didn't really know what to say. Her act of standing up for her people was lauded, definitely and deservingly so, but her life before that defining deed were wordless for me.

See, Esther was common.

Except for one thing - Her beauty.

Now, that is not a trait that you note alongside godly traits like faith and courage.

Esther's elevation from commoner to queen seemed chiefly through her beauty.

And come on, be honest now, though we admire celebrity for their beauty, we never accord the same courtesy to those among our ranks who leave our shared status quo through their looks.

Very probably, young Esther got snide remarks for her accension. Maybe the young women who used to know her were catty and scornful about their once upon friend or neighbour now new found richness. Also possible, her fellow Jews might had viewed her poorly for her marriage to a pagan king.

She lived her life like all of us commoners did, except in more luxurious surroundings, but see, Esther was like us.

Like you, like me.

Look at her, the queen in the palace. When admired, you can be sure it's not for her godliness or stellar character.

Not like the pastor or the preacher or prophet.

She was a girl, her fame was her looks (phiff), she lived in the system.

Like the journalist, like the designer, like the accountant, like the student. She lived in a role that wasn't directly linked to the ministry.

Maybe she wondered many times why she was in the palace. She certainly didn't seem to be a character who was rejoicing in her lavish surroundings and delighting in ordering many roasted er birds (?) (well, pigs were considered vile to the Jews) for feasts with dancing boys present.

Maybe she felt helpless and dejected at times, even despised her own good looks since all it got was a marriage to a pagan king (did she had to leave dreams of happily ever after in love, not arranged marriage behind? or someone she liked? ). Doesn't seem like that kind of glided life has much purpose.

Let me tell you something you probably already know or may find out soon.

When you are stuck in the rut of rountine in a lifestyle that doesn't seem connected very much to God and the higher purpose you want to fulfill with your days, it sucks to live sometimes.

And with every mundane day that goes by, it gets hard to hold on to the belief that you are where you are for a purpose.

*shrugs*

We could ask her one day but I'm guessing Esther had bouts of that.

But she was faithful, she pressed on, and held on enough to her faith and guarded her heart from becoming hard... well enough that when the time came for her to rise up, when her time came, she stood up for God.

All the mundane greyness of previous days, all the laid down dreams and dictated lifestyle change, all the personal battles that nobody else sees she had to fight with her faith... all that came to a stop.

And Purpose was unveiled.

The day I saw Esther as a fellow fighter in the system who held on and run the race well was the day she was transformed for me. We all live in the system, not all of us make it. We all live in the system, many of us get weary and tired and lose some faith. She made it.

Before she stood up for the Jews, she fought many battles alone.

Battles we never read or see.

That's the tale of all our heroes. We see their defining moments, we don't see the processes that made them the people with nuff character to become heroes.

But they all had to deal with the mire and muck. They all have to fight the mundane and rountine. They all, we all have to live within the system to change the world.

She won. She held out. She remained true to her calling.

It's so fascinating how even in the told stories, there are untold stories.

Dad, I want to make it too. I want to hold on and fight on. Rest in Your shadow, soar on Your Wings. I want to believe - always - in the conviction that there is more than this, that I have purpose in the system and process.

Dearest Jesus, sweetest Holy Ghost, make me the stuff of legends. Mould me the character of heroes. I have but one life to live and I want to live it one way - Your way.

Amen.