*Bottom-Up, The Process*

Our life these days is full of juicy drama. Right from the office, social media, neighborhood, schools. Our personal life too is extremely eventful. There is always something brewing! Are We The First? In the book of Esther, it took the enslaving of Mordecai, the disobedience of queen Vashti, to have Esther in the palace. While there , for 12 months, the bible says she went thorough cosmetic treatment, food rations, to prepare her for her position as queen. All this while, Esther did not fully understand the purpose for the events happening in her life.

Esther 4:5 Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what was happening and why. She was already Queen, and she did not know about the plan to have all Jews killed. But God had arranged all events to guarantee success of His plan, to liberate the Israelites. In the old testament again, Moses lived in Midian for 40 years, looking after the father in laws cattle. He spent time alone in the desert herding cattle. In his mind, he thought that he was meant to live and die there. But God had other plans for him. Preparation for Moses started when he was born, by being brought up in royalty, he learned the ways of Pharaoh. This would help him in liberating the people of Israel.

More than half of the books in the new testament are written by St Paul. He was born a Jew, in Tarsus, the hotbed of Roman imperial activities. Although born in such a city, he was  a Jew in circumcision, Benjaminite lineage, Hebrew ancestry, and Pharisaic training. was apparently educated from boyhood in Jerusalem, not Tarsus. He was extremely intelligent and fiercely determined to defend what he believed in, the way of the Jews.

Paul's preparation to spread the gospel to the gentiles especially,  started by him being born amongst Romans, his studies in Jerusalem, his being present at the killing of Stephen, and eventually his conversion. From above examples, we see that Jesus starts His work, with the end in mind. We are all placed where we are, to prepare us for a specific purpose assigned only to us. Every temptation,  every humiliation, every experience is meant to prepare us for this purpose. Esther, Moses and Paul, did not even know the purpose for their mission, until the time they started the mission. Our primary mission is to be with Jesus in eternity. And so every experience we go through, richness poverty, sickness, rejection, is meant to refine our unique rough edges, so that we are ready for our Lord when he appears. Most of us do not understand our earthly mission. But one common thing with all the people above was their conviction to choose right thing in every situation, depending on their different levels of understanding. Faithfulness. 1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. We do not know the plans Jesus has for us. We do not know whether there is a very specific task planned for us here on earth. But we all know the overall purpose. Jer 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.  Remember, Jesus starts with end in mind. We are only asked to be faithful with what is on the table right now.