My Own Esther; Our Own Esther - Bible Lives Are Alive, In Us
Many people in the world derive strength, faith, and instruction from the Holy Bible and the characters or personalities in it. The heroes, the villains, the epic events and histories, the miraculous stories and transformations and choices, actions and principles embodied in its people, good and bad, which have helped millions if not billions of us to know how to lives better lives, make better decisions, how to confront problems and issues. They inspire us, instruct us, even the bad examples give us guidance and cautionary tales to learn from.
Esther was one of them. I and most of us believers and others have shared and reflected on her importance within the Israelites and the trajectory of the chosen people of God. I am not writing this post to recount how she was a hero and example for the rest of us, God's children and elect, but I wanted to extrapolate some lessons from the Esther that I have been touched and learned from in this life. We are alive and Godly people today. Lessons are to be gleaned from the Lord through us and others, in our lives and experiences today, in our triumphs and challenges in the 20th century, the 21st century, in our lives that we live as children of God, brothers and sisters in the human family throughout all time.
I have my own Esther. And you do, too. Please procede.
Esther Price-Johnson
Esther of the Bible was a good example; she was heralded recently in a presentation that I observed about Bible characters of faith. She lived over three thousand years ago, or perhaps two and half millenia ago. It has been a while. Esther, the one I have known, lived in the last century. I am not sure if she is alive this year; I hope she is. I wish she and all of us could live forever. But we all have our timelines. I knew her a few years, which I would like to think were some of her best.
Would Esther be okay with me writing about her in this forum? I think so. She herself was a prolific writer. Her emails could be epic, detailed, and even exhausting. She said that she was less than literate. However, she was quite the lettered lady as far as emitting well explicated and lengthy messages about her interests and issues. She started a website called a "Woman's Corner"; she populated and spread the word with enthusiasm and zeal.
Esther grew up in New York City. A black woman, which many or most people recognize is not an easy thing at the time that she came up. Or ever, in the United States. Or other places, for that matter. At some point, perhaps when middle aged, she joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is why I would eventually meet her. She was less active in my faith, living within the confines of our congregation, in my community called a ward. She was far from home, or where she was raised, and married, and had at least one child, perhaps two. She was estranged from them, and lived far from them as well. I am not sure who she was closest to before I got to know her. She mentioned some people in certain glowing terms, but there were a few that she was not enamored with.
Esther, always energetic and fun. She was particular about how she wanted the missionary elders and I to clean her house. The young men, two year volunteers serving for our church, had found her on the church rolls, and arranged a time to help her clean her apartment. She had a crowded, somewhat cluttered place, but it was clean and mostly organized. She went out to the hallway closet to gather the cleaning materials. She carefully explained how to use the agents and sprays, and which windows to wipe and how to approach them from inside and outside. It was a warm, sunny evening. She agreed to this help from us, and then sent us to a burger shop a couple miles away. That was nice of her; she called ahead. Paid for our burgers.
I ended up going over there a bit, as did the sisters who were her visiting teachers. The sisters were sweet and patient. Esther could be a demanding person in some ways, and perhaps pedantic, but I say that in a loving way. I brought some of my family to her apartment. One of my daughters helped organize and clean some of her materials. Esther would pass out her key chains or other reminders of her web site and organization. Many of us from church became part of her family and friendship circle. My wife made her collard greens, which she loved.
She came out to church regularly, she was able to obtain her temple garments, which for us Latter-day Saints is a big deal. Holier and more consecrated. A lifetime achievement, perhaps, for a person like her, or any of us: less active for decades, a convert later in life. An example to us regular members of the faith.
She showed her love and devotion to Jesus and to others. Esther, a woman of the present day. Living ancient and Bible principles and values. An example like we may find in the holy scriptures. The widow and her mite. A single lady living in a big apartment complex, in a town of the megalopolis of the capital of the richest country in the world.
Esther had a car accident, would wear a neck brace, and luckily it was not worse. I separated from her ward because of larger church decisions, then I left the country, and in the interim Esther moved from her old apartment to a retirment facility, and then moved an hour south of our area. When I returned from abroad she was out of the local neighborhoods. I sent her an email, which she responded to. It was short; she commented that she would reply with more information, but she never did.
Four years ago? Yes, that long ago. She might be 75 by now. Or more?
Esther of the 21st century. A modern day example of persistence, redemption, and faith.
My Esther. Your Esther. And an Esther of faith for modern times.
At least once I remember Esther speaking from the pulpit at our local chapel. She spoke of some hard times when she grew up, when she came of age, almost all in New York, if I recall correctly. She mentioned some things that happened to her that were serious, painful, and perhaps too mature for some of the church group audience. I saw some children asking their mothers or parents what some of the terms that she shared were. Maybe too much information, too explicit for younger ears. Or not quite appropraite for the overall knowledge of the faithful on a Sunday church service.
The way I see it, Esther needed to vent and be heard, to overcome some of the demons of her past, and to recognize that the Lord is good, and restorative, and will make her and all of us whole. Healed and complete.
That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Chosen ones like Esther of the Bible, and Esther of northern Virginia in the last days. May we fondly remember them, and celebrate them, both the ancient and the modern, elect women of God.
I hope that you can feel how she derived strength from the ultimate source, Heavenly Father, and from the power of faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, and how she re-plugged in and re-committed to the community of faith which is known as named above. I take from her life and her example a strong and significant example to me, and how she pushed and shaped and motivated others. Friends and church members that I have known over the years.
May Esther live forever with us and with God. May we see and cherish the women and men and children of faith and love and sacrifice from the scriptures and through our own lives and those that we associate with. May we and all the saints live together with the choice people that we accept and serve.
Did I make this point clear?
The Bible is great, and so are we.
Post Addendum:
I meant to mention, and now I will, that Esther reminded me of some aspects of my mother, Ruth, and in some ways of my adopted Grandmother, Ruby Bumzahem. Having lost them in 2014, and 1997, respectively, I very much loved having Esther in my life for those years that I wanted or craved a funny, spirited, elderly woman who has been there and done that. A woman of wisdom, care, and energy.
We thank God for Esther.
