In pursuit of joy: A tribute to Esther in Sudan

The story of Esther, our widowed lovely Care-taker and Cook
in Sudan continues. Pastor Stanley wrote me recently and said, “Esther
is still struggling… we do not have any responses for her (housing needs) yet but
can you imagine, Esther has adopted a three month old girl called Rebecca who
is an orphan? Rebecca lost her mom and was left with an old grandma who does
not know how to keep this little girl…”

Caring for people comes naturally for Esther. Adopting
three month old Rebecca is a wonderful expression of love and the pursuit of a
joyful spirit that’s worthy of praise. She’s quietly scripting glorious lines about
her gracious and generous personality than many in Yei may be willing to acknowledge and
commend. But God sees her insatiable passion for a joy-filled life.

Joy doesn’t
depend on circumstances; it’s more than a state of happiness. Paul wrote
the Epistle to the Philippians from a jail cell, which is a place of insignificance and ignominy even in our day, today. He was criticized and
misunderstood by many but rather than allow his challenging circumstances to choke
out God’s word and life in him (as Mark 4:19 says they often can), Paul chose
to concentrate on the joy of knowing and serving Christ (Philippians 2:17). 

Joy is a
transaction between us and God that others can’t help but notice. It’s God’s life
spilling over the brim of our lives and into others’ lives. When we trust
Christ with the details of our individual life, we experience His life in
wonderful excesses that soon give us and people around reasons to smile and
thank God.

Esther has no paying job, which means no money to take
care of her needs but she has the faith to take on the challenge of caring for 3months old baby
Rebecca for the rest of her life. Aren’t her joy, faith and love spilling over
here?

I know Esther can do a whole lot more than she’s
currently exposed to. For instance, she speaks four languages excluding English
(which she understands pretty well but not so fluent in). Her knitting skills
showcase a creative and colorful spirit which she freely expresses in cotton
linen. You need to see her needle works in bed sheets, pillowcases, blinds,
table covers and much more. She’s also an intercessor.

This richly gifted young widow has taken her case to another
level. A level that I believe will provoke God’s grace and blessings in ways
beyond her imagination. Even so Lord!

One thing excites me the most about Esther; she’s a
disciple that seeks to make a difference with little things. She has out-done herself by adopting baby Rebecca. The tragedies of her past have not stifled her joy nor
stunted her vision for a greater and better tomorrow.

Author: Uche Izuora

I'm inspired by God’s passion for His name in every generation, which provokes global worship through Jesus Christ. Becoming an emotionally healthy and transformative disciple, I aim to mobilize the Church to engage in cross-cultural missions and raise other like-minded disciples who discover themselves in Christ and seek to present and represent Him as Savior and Lord among the nations northward of Uganda. View all posts by Uche Izuora