Esther -- The Journey

"Life's a journey, not a destination," is a line from a popular song in the 80s.  I recently boarded tri-rail with my son -- a train that runs between Dade County and Palm Beach County.  We boarded in Dania and were off to the Boca stop.  There were many people on the train going to a destination, not us.  We were on the train for the journey.  JT wanted to ride the train and so while others were complaining about the time it was taking we were enjoying the journey.  And, to be truthful, I was able to enjoy it because JT wanted to go on a ride (I wonder how often we miss the joy of the journey because we don't have the child like faith -- approach to life -- that Jesus told us to have).  And, now we turn to Esther.

Esther is on for the journey.  The second in command to the king is able to have the king issue a decree to kill all the Jews, and her uncle asks her -- the queen -- to speak to the king to stop it (which could result in her death).  So, she is hesitant and her uncle reminds her an important fact about the God journey "if you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die."  She has to be reminded that if we do not approach life as a journey we will miss opportunities.  God will accomplish His purposes and the cool thing is that he lets us on for the journey -- and joy -- if we are willing to approach life that way. 

While most of our decisions do not deal with a literal death consequence if we do not make them in accordance with God's will, I would argue that we miss out on partnering with God and a part of us does die.  And, we miss the joy of the journey.  I don't want to miss the joy.  I want to enjoy the journey because this life truly is a journey not a destination.