Saturday June 27, 2026
Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”
Esther 4:13-14
This week, I was on a mission service trip to one of the most impoverished parts of rural Kentucky with our youth group. We labored in two work teams to serve families in need; one on siding and stud replacement for rotted walls, and another for a subfloor in need of demo, replacement, and insulation. Our teams slept in classrooms at a local school and shared the facility with several other groups. That’s where we met a young lady who we immediately took a shining to. Her quirky personality stood out. On Thursday, she wanted to share a devotion with our large group gathering.
This young lady’s adult leader stepped forward, and explained how much the story of Esther meant to her. And the girl bounced next to her in excitement and nervousness. It became immediately apparent that although she had the confidence to approach all of us individually, she was not comfortable speaking to a group. However, as her leader summarized her favorite story, Esther’s courage and purpose, joy illuminated her face. Her hands held her leader’s arm, and she bounced up and down. When the summarizing was done, the girl whispered a prayer we could barely hear, but the words were secondary to what we witnessed. Her leader loved her, and voiced the message this young girl had for us.
We, as volunteers serving the people of Appalachia, are returning with stories. They aren’t all our stories. Some are the lived experiences of the people in need who have changed our lives and humbled us with their closeness to God and their unique witness to grace and compassion. They’ve entrusted us to be their voice to people they want to hear their perspective. Like the girl, they have joys and hopes they are entrusting to our faithful proclamation.
I hope to share some of those insights in the coming weeks, but I hope you’re listening to those around you in your own daily life. Your children, the children in our schools, the service workers in your life, the vulnerable people and unhoused, those in retirement communities, in our shelters, and in need of care and refuge, and those you’re moving to quickly to notice. We are each called to a time such as this. God calls us to times such as these to faithfully carry the voice of those who are voiceless. And they are counting on us.
Prayer
Lord, give me ears to hear, opportunities to form relationships, and care with what is entrusted to me to share. Amen.
Rev. Brian Daoust
Associate Pastor for Mission & Youth
Login To Leave Comment