For Such a Time as This

I'm so excited to share that one of my devotions was recently featured in the Fall print issue of Just Between Us magazine. The magazine was founded by Jill Briscoe, one of the most inspiring Christian speakers.

You can read my story here:

   A few decades ago, at the young age of twenty, I began my career as a hairstylist in a salon in the heart of Beverly Hills. The owner of the salon quickly became a dear friend of mine. I had the privilege of being her apprentice for the first year, during which time she passed on her skill and expertise to me. After those initial twelve months, she gave me a stylist chair of my own, right in front of a huge window on Santa Monica Blvd. I had a regular clientele but was also open to walk-in customers. I’ll never forget the day that a certain man walked in off the street and asked if I was available to cut his hair. I had a break in my schedule, so I invited him to take a seat—right there in full view of everyone who passed by. This man wore a turban on his head and had a very long beard growing on his face and neck. He proceeded to share a bit of his story—he was breaking away from a religion that he had followed for years and whose doctrine prohibited him from cutting any of his hair. So, you see, this haircut was much more significant than it first seemed. It was a pivotal act of his leaving one life behind and embracing a new life going forward. 

   Just as I was about to begin, another man walked through the door. He had seen the man in the turban through the window and came in to offer him a job, not just any job, but a role in a movie. You see, the man who happened to be passing by was a producer (I’m not making this up). However, there was one catch: my customer would need to keep his turban, long hair, and flowing beard because they were perfect for the part he was casting. Resolute in his life-changing decision, my customer graciously declined the offer. I proceeded by unwrapping the cloth from his head and picking up my scissors to begin carefully cutting. This brave man was leaving a lifestyle and religion that no longer felt right to him. I don’t remember the details of our conversation, but I do look back on that day as having been an honor and an opportunity to bless this man on his spiritual journey.

   Not all our encounters transpire like a Hollywood script, but they do matter greatly in God’s glorious and eternal story in which we each have a role to play. 

   I recently started studying the book of Esther. I’ve read it many times before, but this time I’m taking it slowly to hear a fresh word from the Lord. The most notable verse is Esther 4:14, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” 

   God has placed each of us in this specific time and place for His perfectly divine reason. He has given us each our own unique sphere of influence—our family, friends, neighbors, community, workplace, and church. You and I most likely shop at different markets, and every aisle we walk down is included in our circle. God invites us to be His hands and feet and to share His love and grace with everyone we meet; every bit of kindness we show initiates a ripple that grows. God can use someone else, but don’t we want to be a part of what He is doing? In my instance, I could have enjoyed my break and told the man with the turban that I wasn’t available; he could have surely gone somewhere else, but then I would have denied myself the blessing of being a part of his incredible story. Just as Esther’s cousin Mordecai wisely told her, she could embrace her calling or let God bring deliverance through someone else. Fortunately for Esther and the Jewish people of her time, she did not keep silent, but rather raised her voice, spoke the truth, and saved many lives.

   God calls each of us to share the Good News of Jesus with the people in our reach, wherever we are. Jesus describes the world as a field ripe for harvest, and we are entrusted with portions to plant seeds, water, and fertilize, this includes the soil of our loved one’s hearts. Jesus told His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Luke 10:2 NIV).

   The church I attend has a large, hollow, wooden cross nailed to a wall in the sanctuary. It is filled with little pieces of paper inscribed with the names of our collective loved ones. I recall the day we were asked to write the names of those we’re praying for in hopes of them coming to the Lord. That was many years ago, and I have not ceased praying for my family members’ salvation (the saving of eternal lives). Naturally, my paper had different names listed than those seated around me. God was using us each to reach and intercede for others in our circle. Many times, we feel as though our prayers are in vain, but Scripture tells us to not give up—and I whole-heartedly agree! 

   Our prayers for salvation should include asking God to give us the right words and to present us with the opportunities to talk about Jesus’ love. We can also pray that He would soften and prepare hearts to receive the Gospel that we share. He is the one who confirms His truth. Two of the names recorded on my slip of paper have come to know Jesus as their Savior. One was very recently (the greatest prayer ever answered. Amen!). God desires that our family members and others within our reach come to know Him, even more than we do. He loves them so much that He went to the Cross to draw them close. God is extremely gracious in allowing us to be His vessels of hope in this searching, hurting world. In this way we are privileged to be a part of their faith journey.

And God is faithful to make seeds grow.  

   “So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:7-8 NIV).

Who needs you to pray for them? Who needs you to share with them?

A link to Just Between Us: Just Between Us Magazine & Ministry | Biblical Encouragement for Christian Women - Just Between Us

I love Fall! Crisp air, falling leaves, pumpkin spice, and maybe even a sweater!

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