Remember how excited you were when you were seven years old and your birthday was only a week away? How you couldn’t wait for your big day?

Do you remember dreaming about how great it would be to be an eight-year-old?

Now, decades (for some of us, decades and decades) later, how do you feel about your next birthday? Do you still dream with happy expectations about what your life will be like in the coming year? Or does the heaviness of our time squeeze out your zest for the future?

If it’s the latter, can we find our joy again – even in our current circumstances?

We can.

Let’s begin by remembering that a sovereign, loving, powerful God remains in control.

Then let’s rediscover our purpose by asking God to reveal to us why He has chosen us to live in this moment.

Recall the story of Queen Esther. Her people (the Jews) faced the threat of complete destruction. Esther was hesitant to step in until her uncle Mordecai told her,

If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14 ESV).

Esther faced two options. She could stand up for her people and be part of an important mission to save them, or she could let her fear take control, which would doom her and her countrymen. If Esther chose not to act, she’d miss the chance to be used powerfully by God.

My question to each of us is: How shall we live each year, each day, in such a time as this?

Have you asked God why He chose you to live during this time? Have you asked Him how He wants to use you in your current situation?

How would it change our perspective (our excitement about life itself) if we considered that we were born for this very moment? That God intentionally chose us to be part of His plan, knowing the current events that would unfold?

God is sovereign. He loves each of us deeply. We can trust Him.

Even when we’re worried about the future, I pray we’ll stay faithful and step up so we don’t miss the incredible life He has chosen for us.

Then we can be excited about our next birthday. And dream about how great next year will be.

On an added note: After years of praying and submitting my work to publishers, Abundance Books wants to publish one of my children’s books! To help me reach a goal of acquiring 1,000 contacts, may I add you to my Author’s Email List? As one of my contacts, you’ll receive occasional updates about my writing journey and future book signings. If you’d like to be part of this exciting new adventure, please let me know by sending an email to  SherylHBoldt@gmail.com. Many thanks!

What about you?

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this post. (Your comment might also benefit others.)

• How shall you live each year, each day, in such a time as this?

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