Esther 1:10-12

Esther 1:10-12 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  So Esther is a fascinating story, as it demonstrates the complex range of human emotions.  It's the only book in the Bible not to mention God, and yet God is at work throughout it.  I didn't include all of the introduction, but suffice to say that after a six month party, the kind decided to throw a week-long party, and in the midst of it he had had too much to drink and decided it would be a prime opportunity to display his wife to others.  She, having the good sense of not wanting to be a display piece, opted not to comply with his drunken command.  Which made the King mad, because he was a man likely accustomed to getting his way.  Quite the story we're crafting here.
  There's a lot to take away from this.  For starters, don't get drunk and view other people as at your disposal.  And then don't get mad when everything doesn't go your way.  Not throwing six-month long parties may be a prudent course of action as well.
  It's easy to let success go to your head.  You start thinking that the world revolves around you.  And at that moment, it's easy to forget that everyone has a story, and every single story matters deeply to God. 
  When all is right in the world, do you still notice the homeless man sitting on the sidewalk, hoping against hope that someone might care?
  When your ship has come in, do you pay attention to the people weeping on the margins, hurt by the brutality of the world?
  We don't have to constantly focus on the negative, but we need to remember, even at the height of success, that all people matter.  God loves each and every one of us, and if we're to imitate God, we are called to love each and every person, when it's easy and when it's not (and we should remember that we're not always easy to love, but God still loves us!).