Life as a special needs mom is about as far away from Royalty as you can get! Remarkably, however, I have found great wisdom within Esther’s pages.  How on earth could I identify with a queen?  Well, first of all, Esther wasn’t born a queen.  She started out as a regular girl with a less than glamorous, even less than average, life.  Then, she kept running into extremely unlikely circumstances.  Every step of her journey was completely atypical for someone like her.  (sounds more familiar now, right?) Yet God designed each of those steps specifically for a great purpose she could have never fathomed.  It was out of the realm of possibility that God would take her on this journey to save her people – her people weren’t even in danger at the time her unique and lonely process began.  Yet there she was,  alone and unlike anyone else around her. She was in a role that she didn’t want or enjoy and I imagine she often thought “Lord you’ve picked the wrong girl for this!”  OK, so now that you see how eerily similar you and I are to queen Esther, let’s look at the inspiration she can provide.

“And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

The Bible says that each of us is born with a specific destiny and purpose.  God designs us – both our inner workings and our external experiences – to achieve our unique destiny.  He knows that whatever you’re going through right now is a crucial element to your fulfillment, which is why He allows it to be part of you.  So don’t reject it, don’t despise it, and don’t wish it were for someone else….it’s not part of that other person’s destiny, it’s yours.  Once we embrace that it is intended for our good, we can see it differently and start living like Esther:  In a Royal Position for such a time as this!  No, your sweat pants and t-shirt won’t magically transform into a ball gown upon this realization, but your mind, your attitude and even your countenance will change.  You will seem more regal, more “on purpose” and you will then be well on your way to walking towards that destiny.  

I can promise from experience that every single thing that has happened in your life, no matter what it was, painful, joyful, regrettable, forgettable, has been integral in the making of Royal You.   Never regret anything that led to now! Never fear what you’re about to go through, because it will lead to new!  If you read the whole book of Esther, you’ll see that she couldn’t have known her destiny was to save her people from extinction, because that threat didn’t exist at the time that she was ripped away from her life and thrown into chaos and uncertainty.  I was not a writer, not a speaker, not an encourager, not even much of a friend, when I became a special needs mom who knew nothing and regretted everything! I couldn’t have know what my destiny was because I didn’t even know such a thing existed.  But now, living in the aftermath,  I feel fulfilled, called, and driven like never before.  I feel “on purpose” in so many ways.

You too have come to your position for  such a time as this, my friend!  It may not make sense now, but that’s ok.  Just because the final purpose isn’t clearly visible, never doubt that God has a plan.