There is a guy who lives alone across from the mail store I frequent almost every day. He doesn’t own a car, walks everywhere, and sometimes appears to be muttering to nobody in particular. He’s about my age, often wears his shirt unbuttoned to his belly, and someone at the local grocery said he thinks he’s God’s gift to women. Well, I don’t know about that, but he does like to show off his chest. On warm days, he doesn’t wear a shirt at all, and his tanned and leathery skin will attest to that.

He presents himself as an artist. He’s always displaying some kind of large picture on his front lawn, usually of a rock music group. A picture he did of Jim Morrison and the Doors is always on display. Last week he put up a large sign thanking Brian Wilson for the good music and happy memories.

Why am I telling you this? Because we’ve been focusing on Esther and the fact that she was found to be at the right place and the right time to do something heroic to save her people, the Jews. It’s a lesson of courage that challenges us to ask of ourselves, what has God put us in this place at this time to do?

I immediately thought of the eccentric guy who lives across from the mail store. I feel like God has been tapping me on the shoulder about him and I have been putting God off. “He’s weird, Lord. What if he’s mentally ill? What if he doesn’t like strangers who walk up to him trying to be friendly? What if he bites my head off?”

And how do I start this off? “What do you do for a living?” That appears to be nothing. “I notice you’re an artist; what do you like to paint? How long have you lived here? Where did you live before that? What’s you favorite ice cream flavor? Do you know where you are going when you die?

This is not going to be easy. There are a lot of things that God wants us to do that aren’t easy, but whoever said this would be easy?

I am a creature of comfort. I always look for the path of least resistance. But there is nothing in the Bible that supports that notion. In fact the Bible, both Old Testament and New, indicate that God’s way is usually the hardest, most challenging way.

I need this study. I’ve got a lot of old habits to get rid of. The fruits of the Spirit run contrary to the fruits of the flesh, and yet the fruits of the flesh are what comes easy. Esther was a queen in the court of a pagan kingdom. She had to be on her toes at all times.

This study is going to help us all do the right thing at the right time. One thing’s for sure; it will be thrilling. And we’re going to all work on this together. This week we will journal, and make commitments to follow through on action and then report on how it went. You won’t want to miss a day of this exciting journey with us, together!