Today I read about Esther in the Bible, the beautiful woman who was able to persuade King Xerxes to prevent the annihilatation of the Jewish people.
Her success would have been impossible without a biblical character named Hegai. His name is scarcely recognized. I’ve read the story of Esther at least ten times in the past and never noticed him until today.
Hegai, an eunuch of the King’s, took a special interest in Esther. He assigned special food and beauty treatments for her, gave her seven personal maids and even recommended how she should speak to the king. Hegai strongly facilitated her relationship with the king. Then later, when Esther made her life-saving request, the king was receptive.
Isn’t that how it is with many individuals we meet – the in-between people whose words and deeds make a great impact on the happenings of our lives?
I thought of that in Wheaton IL yesterday at the Write to Publish Conference where I visited with Susan Baganz, the Acquisitions Editor who connected me a year ago with Prism Books, the fiction publisher for my mystery novel, Bullet in the Night. Yesterday I got to thank her in person for her confidence in advancing my work and see her delight when I showed her the newly released book.
God is ultimately responsible for the Hegai’s and Susan’s we encounter. Sometimes we don’t know who they are. Other times we identify our in-between helpers most clearly in retrospect.
Being willing to let God orchestrate our lives is foundational in these interactions, as is participating in the Body of Christ helping one another.
Some Thoughts To Discuss With Your Spouse and Children:
Who have been some of the in-between people in your life? The connectors?
How might you or I be a link in someone else’s life?
[You may want to read more about Hegai and Esther in Esther, Chapter 2 Verses 9-10, 15.]