Esther- continued

 The 5 Takeaways mentioned in the previous post were:

1) Bravery
2) Selflessness
3) Dreaming and asking big
4) Restoration
5) The importance of listening to wise counsel

So- how does this apply to me (and you)?

The past year(s) have been challenging and last October 13th my life changed when I had my heart attack. Sitting in the hospital, not knowing what was going on and just waiting was overwhelming. Sitting there, hearing that my heart attack was stress related was earth shattering. I mean, diet- that's easy to change, stress is a little harder. About that time is when I really started looking at Esther and realized that it was time to start making hard decisions. I don't like change- I don't know too many people who do. However, I also know that when it's time for me to make a change God makes it very clear- and this time was no exception. I don't know what all the changes are going to be or involve but I do know that He is walking with me through every step. Being willing to make changes is part of being brave. It's also part of the selflessness. This seems so counterintuitive, so opposite of what the word implies. Yet, if being willing to make the changes needed allows me to give more of me where I am needed or where He wants me serving, then it fits right in. Dreams- this is a hard one- 9 years ago I had a dream and it kind of went by the wayside. If someone asked me what my dream was right now, I couldn't tell them. And that's not's always a bad thing- because it's still being developed and worked through. I may realize that dream today, or it may be several years down the road. What I do know is that I am not alone. 

The wise counsel- I know that without my mom and dad, but especially my mom, I would not have made it through the past 7 months unscathed. She (they) has been there to support me through everything. 7 years ago I made a decision to move to Indiana- she supported me then and throughout the last 7 years she has loved me through my mistakes, taken care of me through two major health events, and cheered me on in every endeavor I have been part of. I have watched my parent's marriage with a little bit of envy (good envy) and a lot of pride. I know it's not always been easy, but just like Esther she has handled it with grace.

And one last thing, restoration has been my personal "theme" for the year. I have learned a lot in the almost 47 years I have been alive but the last 7 years and then the last 7 months have given me new purpose, they have caused a reevaluation of my heart and has led me to moving toward a full restoration of my finances, my dreams, my spiritual health, my mental health, and my physical health. I read a devotion piece on this and it talked about how even in the moments that we ache now, there is another moment down the road that this ache is preparing me for. It doesn't lessen the ache but it gives it meaning. She said this is what Esther must have come to learn and understand and I am going to quote Lore Ferguson Wilbert- "This time, this aching, awful time, is held secure by a God who knows the future, who ordains the steps of His children, and who has prepared a better Esther, a better Savior for all His people to come."