WEEK 2:: a contest for a queen

here we are.

officially embarking on the second week of our esther study. over the past seven days, i've discovered this book in an entirely new way-- and i am brimming with anticipation to see where beth moore takes us next.

i love her way of breaking words down. and i am moved and inspired by what God has reveled to her in scripture. in the closing pages of week 1, there were several statements that leaped off the page at me. i want to take a moment to share them & to discover if anyone else was moved by their depth as well. beth states:

" He (God) is never more present than when He seems strangely absent. That's what providence is all about"

and

"It's tough being a women in another woman's shadow, but sometimes, there in the hiddenness, God builds a woman she'd never otherwise become."

after reading the first statement- i immediately thought of the "footprints" poem. are you familiar? for anyone who isn't- i'll briefly describe it::

in this tender poem, a man is seeing his life as footprints in the sand. when he walks with the Lord, he sees their footprints side-by-side. during portions of his life, he notices only one set of prints, and notes that those must have been the times he was distant from God. hurting. doubting. God reassures him that when only one set of prints is seen, God was carrying the man through dark times.

i get little goosebumps every time i think of this tale. a very enlightened author has penned a legend out of the truth of each of our lives. in our darkest times. in the portions of our life when its hardest to grasp God. it is then that He is working mightily to provide for us.

the second statement is one so full of encouragement. there are so many times in life that i wonder why God has placed certain people in my life. or why i am in a certain place. or had to endure a certain hardship. when beth states "in the hiddenness, God builds a woman she'd never otherwise become", i am powerfully reminded that no shadows are ever a waste in our life. God uses the things that trouble us. or intimidate us. to actually mold us into the women He longs for us to be. remembering this fact may not make difficult circumstances easier, but it can help us realize that they are worthwhile.


now--in the coming week, we will start building on the historical foundation of lesson 1-- and will be introduced to our main character. week 3 begins on October 19th- so aim to have the next 5 lessons done by then.

i can't wait to hear how God is moving through your lives! here's to week 2!