As busy pastors with young children, we sometimes needed help with light home repairs.
My Dad was the kind of guy who showed up with a toolbox. He would pull out his hammers, wrenches, and sometimes tubes of caulk to help fix something in the house that needed attention.
As we continue this week in our sermon series “Heroines of the Faith,” it is tempting to think that these heroic women were some kind of superheroes, larger than life. They lived in a time, however, when women held low status. Women could not hold property; in fact, if the male head of a household heard that she did own property, he could annul the vows he made to her that very day. When women married, they left the authority of their birth father to the dominion of the new father-in-law. Some of the laws were designed to protect women, however, from being vulnerable and at risk.
Women like Deborah and Esther were women who rose to power and used it wisely. They were seen as strong women who followed God’s leading. They used what God gave them in their toolbox to make a difference.
Pastor Doug asked the question last week, “Who’s your Deborah?” Who is the one who encourages you and has your back? Who would call you their Deborah?
This week I invite you to consider the gifts and abilities that God has given you. I invite you to consider “What’s in your toolbox?” My Dad was an ordinary guy who was willing to help, using what he had in his toolbox. Esther stood with her toolbox in the midst of a dangerous situation for the Jewish people.
I look forward to joining you on Sunday morning online or in the sanctuary to discover how Queen Esther responded to the crisis in Persia long ago.
Peace,
Pastor Cathy