I Want to Be More Like Esther of the Old Testament

Writing articles for the Estancia News, standing up for election integrity at Torrance County Commission Meetings, and demanding accountability and action for the Estancia Municipal School District, can be very intimidating. At one Commission meeting, the Commission asked the Sheriff to remove me for speaking out of turn while I was demanding our voices be heard. At times, I feel like quitting.

Last week, after an EMSD School Advisory Council meeting where I cried for the first time in many years, I felt very defeated. This week, at the EMSD school board meeting, a friend told me I am being un-Christ-like, unkind, and a ‘bad representative’ of the church I attend. It hurt to hear that from a friend, but it will not deter me because I know she is wrong.

Gratefully, I have a great support system, and I have been able to feel like my efforts were not fruitless. However, that is not always enough, and I need the help of The Lord. Our family makes a concerted effort to study the Scriptures daily (we are not perfect and miss it from time to time.) Scripture study is important to me because I can receive inspiration, clarity, guidance, and answers to questions I have.

Last week my family studied the Book of Esther in The Old Testament. Esther is an example to me of strength and courage. When The King, her husband, sent out a decree to kill all the Jews, Mordechai, Esther’s cousin, encouraged her to go before The King to plead for the lives of the Jews.

Esther agreed, but beforehand, she (and the other Jewish people) fasted and prayed. She did her part to prepare to face The King. She did not rely on God to do all the work for her even though she knew it was His will. She said:

“so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.”

Old Testament, Esther 4:16

Although Esther could have easily been killed standing up for the Jewish people, she had the strength to fight for what was right. She was fighting for righteous reasons and not for selfish ones, which meant that God was on her side. Ultimately, her courage saved the Jewish people.

Maybe my life is not at stake, but I still need to be courageous like Esther. Even if election integrity and school district issues aren’t life and death, they still affect our lives; sometimes detrimentally.