For Such a time as This

“I’m tired, God. I don’t want to write anymore.” This was my cry one night after my second book launched.

The book took three years to write and another six months to put into publishing format. Now the work began. The marketing journey seemed impossible from my lens. Searching for  book signing opportunities was time-consuming. The demands of on-line marketing and promotions left me no time, or energy, to consider new writing projects.

God’s silence on the matter led me to believe He was in agreement with this course of action. I told my husband I was freeing my time up so I could do things I was meant to do, as soon as God told me what those were. I admit I was not totally at peace with this revelation. But I figured I would come into comfort with “our” decision as time passed.

A week later, my husband and I went on a mission trip to the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado. Eureka, new direction was revealed.

While we were on the trip, I met a young lady named Esther. At one of the prayer times I noticed Esther sitting in a corner and writing in a journal. I approached her and asked if she liked to write. She said she did and we began to talk about the writer’s life.

I’ve always loved the name Esther. The story of Queen Esther’s remarkable life and mission is one of my favorites in the Bible. The book of “Esther” tells of a beautiful young Jewish girl who was sent to the court of the Persian King Xerxes (or Ahasuerus), when he was searching for a new queen. Esther was chosen to fulfill that role.

During her reign, it became necessary for Queen Esther to admit she was Jewish. This was in attempt to stop Xerxes’ administration from destroying her people, the Jews, exiled in Persia.  Esther was not keen on the idea until her uncle told her that perhaps she was in this position, “For such a time as this” (Esther 4:14 NIV).

During the mission week in Alamosa, the young writer Esther and I became friends. We talked about writing, music and even led the congregation in a dance to the song, “We are Family.”  When the trip ended, Esther and I agreed to meet weekly, so we could continue talking about writing while enjoying beverages at Starbucks.

I was thrilled at God’s idea of how I would use my education and experience in the world of writing without actually, well…writing.

At our first meeting we explored some aspects of writing, talked about what we liked to write and how our future time together might look. At the conclusion of our coffee date, I assigned Esther a project for the following week. She asked, “What will you write, Laura?”

“Me? What? Well I don’t… I mean I really hadn’t thought… I guess I could…” I stammered. Then it hit me. I was not finished writing at all. God had a plan not only for me to help a budding writer, but to keep me moving along the path He set before me several years before I published anything.

The frequent coffee/writing times with Esther are precious. We have expanded our art exploration to the Denver Art Museum and have discovered we share a passion for fashion and many other areas of art including dance (don’t you know?).

I don’t consider myself as important as the nation of Israel when it comes to being rescued. But I believe that in my self-imposed exile from writing, God sent a beautiful young lady to help me find my way back to doing His will. I am convinced that Esther entered my world how she did, and when she did, for just such a time as this.

For Esther, my friend, my student and my teacher.

Copyright January 2019
Laura L. Padgett
Lakewood, Colorado

Connect with me on Twitter @lauraleepadgett  or my Facebook Author Page

Check out the books I have published:

“Dolores, Like the River,” available at Westbow Press, Barnes & Noble, Amazon and all major online retailers.

“Jesus in Shorts: Twenty-five Shorts Stories of Life-Changing Jesus Moments,” available now at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

If you would like an autographed copy of my books and you live in the U.S., please click on the tab on my home page for buying books. I will send you one after you purchase there.