Pass The Red Napkins, Please!

Every day it seems, there is a story of a Nativity scene that has been forbidden to be put up or a school that has declared they are having “Winter Solstice” instead of Christmas. I heard of a school that was only allowed to have white napkins because the traditional green and red might indicate a leaning toward our Christian holiday. A “war on Christmas” declares one broadcaster and I tend to believe it, as stores forbid cashier to say anything but “Happy Holidays”. Our times are frustrating if not downright dismal.

As I thought of this today, I thought of Cherry Shride a dear lady in our church. I always loved to hear her Wednesday testimony because it always ended with “these are great times to serve the Lord”. I wonder if she were alive today if she would still share that sentiment. I think she would!

My friend Cherry didn’t say “this is easy times to serve the Lord”, she said “these are great times to serve the Lord“. I didn’t understand completely what this meant back when this pillar of our church said these words, but I know now that as back then it is a great time to serve the Lord.

As I am revisiting the Book of Esther I found a verse that describes this thought to a tee. Esther, through a series of events that some might call “coincidences”, rose from a commoner to the position of Queen of Persia. We learn in scripture, that her position and influence saved the Israeli people from certain annihilation. If you have never read Esther, you are in for a book that reads like a novel a Cinderella story, if you will, but with the hand of God glaringly obvious though His name is not mentioned! In chapter 4, Mordecai, her older cousin who raised her, appeals to her on behalf of himself and fellow Jews, “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”. The “such a time as this” was the time in which Esther, lived. What a great time to serve the Lord? Easy? No! Queen Esther would have risk her own life in order to serve the Lord but even in this dire situation, she did indeed serve the Lord and saved the whole nation of Israelites from certain death.

In these times of uncertainty and seemingly a time when there is a war not only on Christmas but against Christians, we are to have the courage of Esther. We are to stand and declare “these are great times to serve the Lord”, and tell everyone we meet that we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the one who died on the cross to save us from our sins. And gladly proclaim MERRY CHRISTMAS!
And please pass the red napkins!