Esther: The Heart of a Thousand Yesses
When I consider the beautiful story of MCF and Daddy Mully, I am drawn to the beautiful woman at his side. I see Jesus walking with the Father to the Fatherless arm in arm with Esther, the Mother to the Motherless, at his side. Books could be dedicated to honoring Esther and her “Yes,” but on this Mother’s Day, let’s take a moment to magnify the Lord in a woman who has magnified His heart over the last fifty-three years. A few snapshots highlight the gift of Esther, and in these glimpses, Esther’s example invites all mothers, all women, and all people to live the heart of a thousand yesses.
Esther: the Faithful One.
“There she was. Esther. Working in the field” (FttF, pg. 67). In Father to the Fatherless, Charles Mully describes his initial encounters with Esther. He was stunned by her beauty, hopeful to become acquainted with her, and described the joyful beginnings of their relationship. In that season, Esther, with the encouraging smile, the contagious laugh, and the honoring heart was laboring in the harvest. I look at her and see God in her example. Esther was a daughter, honoring her mother who had been too sick to work. Esther said “Yes” to her mother, to the work, and to the Lord. Psalm 37:3 exhorts us like Esther to “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.” She didn’t know her bridegroom was watching from a distance, admiring her beauty, longing to be close to her. She was faithful because this was her character. In Luke 16:10, Jesus tells us that “whoever is faithful in a little is faithful in much,” While she was at work, she encountered Charles. There they were, both faithful in their work, both saying yes to the leading of God in their lives. And in her yes, she saw Charles. She saw the treasure within the earthen vessel. She saw God’s hand bringing them together. Her “I am” became, “I see,” and her “I see” became “I do.”
Esther: the Fervent One.
Jesus said, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.” As Mama Esther and Daddy Mully began their days with prayer, God began building their house, and through them, He was building His house as well. In those early years and through all the years, Esther’s outer strength flows from the secret place. Like Jesus, her communion with her Heavenly Father has shaped the earth around her. Intimacy with God created the well of intercession; intercession has flowed like rivers in the quiet places, in the noisy places, through the darkness and through difficulties only God can fully know. Mama Esther could not have known how big her house would become, but she knew that Jesus was the foundation, the cornerstone, the Architect and the Finisher. So, she and Daddy Mully sought Him early, and she seeks Him early still. They have co-labored with Jesus, and they have not labored in vain.
Esther: the Willing One.
After wrestling with the Lord and surrendering in a moment of great triumph, Daddy Mully brought vulnerable children to the doorstep of their home. Esther had a choice in that moment. I can’t imagine the emotions that swirled through her body, but I don’t think heaven held its breath because God had been watching and shepherding this woman’s heart long before that pivotal evening. Her willing heart stretched through her open arms and she welcomed the initial beneficiaries into their family of eight. The yesses unfolded and continue to this day: “Yes, I will love who you bring me; yes, I will trust you when the food is running short; yes, I will go into war-torn Nairobi and extend love beyond ever-growing Ndalani; yes, I will seek you until water is bursting through the dry ground; yes, I will forgive the ones who withdrew from us when they did not understand; yes, I will sow seed into soil and love into hearts, and I will do it when I’m tired, and when it feels like too much because my life flows from the Yes and Amen of Heaven, Jesus, and He will not fail me.”
The faithful one. The fervent one. The willing one. We honor you, Mama Esther. We honor You, Lord Jesus, for You have loved us beyond measure through her outpoured life. You have loved us through your outpoured life. Lord, we say yes to You in whatever field you have us. Draw us to the secret place where we find You in your Word and in our worship. Lord, build your house in us and reveal your heart through us so that our worlds and Your world is changed because we, like Mama Esther, have hearts of a thousand yesses.
Let us reflect on how we can embrace our own ‘Yes’ moments, inspired by Esther’s example of faithful, fervent, and willing dedication.
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