On pushes , reminders and complacency

We all need pushes, reminders and reality checks every time so we don’t become complacent.

Esther examines the situation , outlines the challenges and comes up with a strategy (go girl)

Important notes 

• She cannot just appear before the king without being summoned .
• She also cannot wait to be summoned because it’s been 30 days
• She calls  on the help of fellow Jews to join her in prayer and fasting as she embarks on this almost suicide mission
• She decides to remind the King of what he been missing .*wink wink*

She organises a party for her husband (Uncle Kuku likes party ) and invites her enemy . Stunting !!! Aunty was not joking

This is not time for Honey wake up at 3am , I need to talk to you .

Reminds of me of the verse of the bible that says Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool .

Esther’s Strategy

• Her husband likes parties
• She understand the power of community / collective effort to effect Change even if through prayer and fasting . While she was busy on the inside , her people on the outside were busy too , writing petitions and stuff
• She had to invite the enemy and present the case while he was there, so he won’t go and change story behind her back
• She staged it to make it look like Haman was hitting on her in the presence of her husband
• She didn’t just start crying to the king and shouting upandan, she legit prepared a table in the presence of her enemy , made him comfortable and then spoke up

She spoke up . Very important.

Speak up

Be brave

Don’t be complacent

Vote

Sign petitions

Carry placard

Don’t keep silent

“According to the dictates of your time , fight oppression”.

Even though the decree of death wasn’t overturned. The Jews fought their way to Living another day

Maybe not take up arms , but fight!!!! Use your words . Use your positive actions

Don’t Siddon look . It doesn’t concern you today, it might be your household being threatened tomorrow

*P.S  this entire story speaks to me too

It is very important to note that at no point did God speak and tell them what to do, no prophets, no prophecy, just humans with a will and belief interchangeably working to change the course of their lives and history

Calling upon the name of the Lord , but working according to the dictates of your age .

This is not the time to keep silent .

Human action is the only thing that would advance the story of man in the universe of God

 

 

On recognising your position

 

Esther is a young woman , married to a powerful man controlling 172 provinces across India and Ethiopia .

Her tribe is minority in the land she dwells, so her uncle (father/adviser/brand manager,pr executive)asks her not to mention it . Maybe rightfully so, she was in a different land, most likely grew up and was raised there and so their customs was most likely hers too.

Here she is enjoying her home, in laws were not stressing her, her Uncle is her eyes/ears outside the palace.

Her uncle on the other end is riling up his political opponent Haman, maybe Mordecai was only just a political commentator or what they called them in those days and he didn’t agree with his values.

Haman was oppressive and looked down on the Jews.

So here’s one man,angry with another man and because of that he seeks to wipe out a whole tribe, generation of humans . Just look at wickedness.

Haman goes  ahead and gets an unchangeable royal decree to wipe out an entire race. Are you people seeing this ?

I know it wasn’t a democracy then , but how?!!!!

Ayyyyyy God

* side eyeing King Ahasuerus

* side eyeing Trump and the immigrant debacle

*side eyeing Nigeria and boko haram ,Fulani herdsmen etc etc

Tbh, humans have always been selfish and intolerant.

Mordecai remembers he has someone in Asorock and being the dramatic man he is . * wears sackcloth, baths in ashes and waits at the gate .

He petitions Esther to wake up and fight for her people . She tries to give excuses about how oh * it doesn’t work like that here oh * I can’t really help you people because I’m busy painting my nails ( maybe not this , just side eyeing people who always find a reason to not stand up and help, lend their voice , fight oppression in anyway they can

What stood out was Mordecai calling Esther’s bluff by saying

• See Esther , if you don’t help us , someone will , God will raise someone who will, God has positioned you on this high pedestal but don’t forget your humble beginnings , you’re still a Jew , don’t forget oh , it’s on the outside today but who knows Haman might decide to trace your ancestry and find a way to wipe you and your children, these murderers  are not joking around . Get off your butt and do something!!!!!

Very fire on the mountain situation. 

 

On Faith and Politics

 

The story of Esther is much more political than it is often told and i’ll be looking at the various angles of why i think so in a 3 part series.

I’ll be starting with some slight humour as this story has been on my mind for the longest time . Lol . It legit woke me up at 3am

Also, I like the stories in the bible that come across as detached . There’s no link or continuity from previous books or chapters. They’re just dropped in between like ….hey look here’ you might need this someday

Back to Esther .

There’s King Ahasuerus, ruler of 172 provinces cut across Ethiopia and India . He threw a party to show off his riches for a hundred and eighty days , 180, ONE EIGHT ZERO. That is 6 months . Half of a year give or take .

They legit just woke up everyday and ate jollof rice and chicken with coleslaw on the side , sometimes interchanging with turkey , or gbegiri and amala with ewedu, for 180 days …. please digest this , not the food….the story . Imagine, a Yoruba party , happening for 180days , no responsibilities , just party and eat . Ayyyyyyyyyyy Jesus . Entrepreneur life o je . Kai . I digress

Forgive me .

So the party been happening . King was on several clouds floating because , he’s the damn ruler!!!!!

Ahh sorry oh . The 180 days were for the princes and fellow nobles .

He did for the ordinary people for 7 days . I’m really just here holding my chest. Because ahhhhhhhh*what is this struggle life I’m doing , when I can just change time period

Queen Vashti on her own side was doing her own , women empowerment and stuff … wink wink on the side . You know . Party with the girls , manicure and sturvs

Anyways , after 187 party days , the king was high, because it must have been lit  . He asked for his Queen to be brought to him

So he can show her off in all beauty and splendour . ( I still don’t understand why she refused to appear)

Although it’s possible he hadn’t seen her in 187 days , as Esther said he hadn’t seen her in 30 days . So yeah , she was probably cranky and like Nope , imma deprive you of my presence too, not knowing bobo does not know how to take small shaKara,  like some other tribe of men I know *Nigerian*

Anyways , o ja King Ahasuerus lara ( it pained him) seriously that he threw the whole wife away….. what a sad .

The council of men now organized pretty virgins for him year in year out. Took 4 years . I’m really hoping he wasn’t sampling the girls and doing , nope, not this one, she don’t taste right . Cos I cannot stomach that thought . After an extensive spa day lasting 1 year (six months with oil of myrrh, six months with sweet odours… o ma ga oh )

Enter Esther, most gracious and favourable virgin in all the land , Oga Ahasuerus saw her once and baby girl became queen .

*Now texting all my friends, I’m available for a year long pampering and spa session , so my king can crown me sharp sharp *

…. continued in series

 

On Living your best life

Here’s what i learnt from reading the story of Ruth

To be honest , all the times I’ve heard the story,without even digging for myself, i was unimpressed and didn’t understand the moral lesson.

I had read it in passing a couple of times without really digesting it

• Then I decided to read and digest it
• She gets married to Naomi’s son
• Son dies , she chooses to stay with Naomi
• They go back to Naomi’s people’s places and try to start a new life

All of this I don’t see as extraordinary so I roll my eyes when I hear Ruth this, Ruth that .

But I keep reading

In the new land they’re in,

• Ruth goes to find work
• Stumbles on the land of Naomi’s relative
• Naomi teaches her to shoot her Shot
• Not bad , Not bad
• Shots well received ,Boaz marries her

Then, the finale….

• She gives birth to a son that literally puts her in the lineage of David!!!!! 2 generations away!!!!

Moral lessons 

• Took me a while to figure it out , but;
• For her to get to her divine position she had to be relocated
• Left her place of comfort/birth
• Without even knowing what was in store for her
• Shot her shot with a man that her tribe was supposedly lower than
• Got him to marry her
• Positioned herself in the lineage of our Lord Jesus

 

The lesson is divine orchestration, bravery and perseverance. When you choose to believe in God , you have to be wholehearted about it. You need to understand that he most likely won’t do things in the way you expect . And he’s laying out a path for you. ONLY BELIEVE.  

Do not use GOD as an excuse to not live the best life he has planned for you.

Cheers

On Becoming Gold

I intend to journal my journey into becoming the woman God has intended for me . I refuse to use God as an excuse to not live the best life he has laid out for me .