One hot summer afternoon, I told Polly that I wasn’t very excited about heaven.  “I know that sounds unspiritual, Polly, but heaven just doesn’t ‘do much’ for me.” Without hesitation, Polly replied, “Well, that’s normal, Ken.  You haven’t lived long enough.  But that’ll change.  One day, you’ll know more people in heaven than you know on earth.  That’s when heaven becomes your home.  And when that happens, you’ll be ready to go home.”

As I read about these servants in the Bible, I sense that their hearts were set more on heaven, than on this earth.  Maybe it’s because life didn’t offer as many ‘goodies’ as it does today.  Americans live under the ‘illusion of the good life’.  We honestly believe that life on this earth can be really good for us.  But no matter how good life gets, it doesn’t fill that heaven-shaped hole in our heart.

When I hear Esther say, “If I perish, I perish,” I realize that she didn’t live under the ‘illusion of the good life.’  Heaven was her home.  Following God meant more to her than anything else.  And it’s this perspective that gave her boldness, in spite of her fears.

Polly Smith is still alive today.  Her body is failing her.  Most of her friends are gone.  And when God calls, she’s ready to go home.

What about you?  Where’s your home, this earth or heaven?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Also, I want some of you to share how God draws your gaze toward heaven…

This past weekend, Cassidy attended a real camp with our students.  She endured sleepless nights (her friends snore), fresh mildew, board-like beds, early mornings and late nights all at a place called, Camp High Harbor.  Now, from what I hear, her cabin brought the early mornings on themselves.  All the other girls were content with jumping out of bed and heading to breakfast; but evidently, seventh grade girls need an extra hour for makeup.  Cassidy says that’s because they only had one mirror for 14 girls.  A tragedy!

If you’re like me, I dreamed of a Camp Hyatt life.  I not only dreamed about it, I expected it.  But life includes many extended visits to Camp High Harbor, sleepless nights and all.  Of course, when I read Esther 2 & 3, I realize her version of Camp High Harbor was MUCH worse than mine.  Being queen may sound great, but it wasn’t.  King Xerxes drank excessively, ruled ruthlessly, and conquered viciously.  Esther was a beautiful woman, but a stranger in a foreign land.  As queen, she was mainly a glorified sex slave.  And if she ever offended Xerxes, the results were deadly.  She couldn’t even enter Xerxes’ presence without permission.  Not exactly Camp Hyatt.

Through all of this, Esther kept her faith in God and “continued to do what Mordecai told her to do.”  Amazing.  I would have thrown in the towel.  I never liked camp much, anyway.  Too rustic – and I’m allergic to mildew.  And then… top it off by adding a degrading situation like Esther’s???  That would have been the final straw.   But Esther was different.  She determined to become better because of her struggles.

As l listened to Cassidy’s complaints about Camp High Harbor, I realized how this weekend developed her character far more than Camp Winshape.  No offense to Winshape, but it’s too nice.  Character germinates in adversity.

I now understand what James was talking about when he said to find joy in adversity.  It’s not that I’m suppose to love my trips to Camp High Harbor, but God wants me to see the character that develops while I’m there.

What about you?  I’d enjoy hearing about character traits that you developed on trips to Camp High Harbor.