There was girl.  This girl grew up in a great home, full of love and life.  This girl was loud, adventurous, loud, high energy, and did I mention loud?  Let’s call this girl Esther.  Now this story has no real ties to the story of the Biblical Esther, I just find that in this case, it suits.  Esther became a follower of Christ when she was 12 years old.  At that time, He radically transformed her into a disciple and she truly fell in love with the living, breathing Word of God.  Esther sought out adventures at every turn.  She wanted to be exactly where He was.  If that meant as a middle school kid she attended adult Sunday school classes and prayer times with the devoted followers of Christ, then she did.  If it meant as a high school student, she went to Scotland and Nicaragua to seek exactly where the Lord would want her, then she did.  If it meant devoting early morning hours every day to ask the Father for wisdom and direction, and most importantly forgiveness, then that is what she did.  While we could spend lots of time speaking about Esther, the story really isn’t about her.

You see, Esther walked close with God.  Even in the times it felt as though she had strayed, He was always right there, intimately holding her and nudging her.  Was Esther perfect… absolutely not!  Not in the least.  Chief of sinners, as Paul writes.  However, there was one thing Esther always knew.  She always knew how to ask for forgiveness and how to ask for wisdom for the next moment.  You see, Esther only wanted to follow her Maker and surrender to whatever plan He had for her.  These desires led her all over the globe, seeking those who are lost to lead them into the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  And these desires led her to a very specific boy.

There was a boy.  This boy grew up in a wonderful home with parents who truly loved the Lord and worshipped Him.  This boy was quirky, quiet, but very smart.  Let’s call this boy Aaron.  Again, no ties to scriptural Aaron, just thought it fit!  Aaron loved fast cars, motorcycles, technology and did I mention fast cars?  Aaron accepted Jesus as Lord the summer before his senior year in high school at a youth camp on top of Lookout Mountain.  Aaron was actually leading middle school students at this camp when he realized his own need of a Savior.  This was a very real moment, a real exchange, where the Abraham blessing of the Holy Spirit began to live inside of him.  No longer was he his own person, but now he had been purchased by the King.

Aaron and Esther started dating the summer before their senior year of high school.  High school sweethearts, you might say.  They had an interesting dating relationship.  They both wanted to do as the Lord led, but fought their selfishness every single day.  They went through seasons where they honored the Lord with their bodies, and seasons where they didn’t.  They went through seasons where they broke up, and seasons where they returned to each other.  They went through seasons were they sought others for companionship, and seasons where they truly returned to one another.  Then, the season of engagement and marriage began.  This journey proved to be the most difficult of them all.

Esther still had the sense of adventure, while Aaron desired to have a plan.  Esther desired to her way, while Aaron desired his own way.  As most new marriages are, the struggle for respect and love collided like two trains on the same set of rails. The first years were tough, not only because of the battle of the two wills, but also because Aaron’s father was fighting the battle of his own life- colon cancer. The first two years were spent at Aaron’s parents home almost every night. Until that long week in February came, where Aaron’s father met his Maker for the very first time face to face, and then, their marriage took another shape; tarnished with pain and sorrow.  As Oswald Chambers said, “You can always recognize who has been through the fires of sorrow and received himself, and you know that you can go to him in your moment of trouble and find that he has plenty of time for you.”  This was their ministry, but the sorrow didn’t stop there.

A year after their marriage, they decided to stop controlling the growth of their family and the fruit of the Lord’s blessing by taking a little pill each month.  This proved to be one the most difficult periods of life. Infertility. Many ladies in scripture was dealt the same deck of cards. Children are not a promise, just a blessing. A blessing you do nothing for. A blessing because the Blesser is just good. After five years of waiting, 26 hours of delivery, new life was formed. For sake of names, let’s call this new life Ruth. Ruth was a spunky little fireball of fun and challenges. She was the one they prayed for. The gift given from the Only One who could. Ruth loved big. Ruth loved hard. Ruth laughed lots and explored even more. Ruth was a dreamer. Lived in excitement and stories. Again, I digress… she isn’t the story either.

Then one day, Esther’s birthday was coming up. On your birthday, you always have certain things you wanna do. Plans you make. How to spend your special day. On this birthday, the 26th of the month, her and her family were planning to serve the homeless in their city. Now at the same time, Esther was playing a role at a church drama as a demon. This role was very taxing and very difficult. Many times the spiritual powers fought hard to keep Esther playing this role even at home, and this birthday was no different.  The battle was strong, and just before departing time, Esther and Aaron allowed the enemy to win…. they did not make it to serving the homeless, they stayed home, in disobedience.

On this amazing day, God was at work. On this day, the team that served met a young girl named Casey. No one could’ve foreseen what Casey’s role in their lives would do. No one could’ve known the end result (at least the end we see).  Casey was pregnant. Casey had a 10 month old little girl. Casey was homeless. Casey had some addictions that controlled her. Casey needed a Saviour. Jesus. The journey with Casey was life changing and life altering.

The 26th of the following month, Casey went into labor with her baby. She was 26 weeks pregnant. The sweet baby boy lived 26 hours before he passed away.  Casey definitely had her ups and downs. Her moments where she encountered the Lord and was forced to decide.

But the story doesn’t end there. One day, the 25th day of a summer month, after an evening bible study where Esther taught of Genesis where God clearly tells us to “be fruitful and multiply”….. Esther’s partner in crime’s phone rang. It was Casey. She had a friend who was needing someone to take her baby. They had tested positive for drug use and did not want their baby boy to go into state custody.  Esther was stirred. The sweet Pastor’s wife and amazing friend encouraged Esther to agree to receive this child as her own. Once Aaron was on board, they agreed to receive this baby, as their own.

On the 26th day of this summer month, this baby, Nathaniel joined their home. One week old, gift “given by God” made his way into the hearts of not just Esther and Aaron, but Ruth and everyone who knew him.  And now, one year later this small babe will soon share their last name, their permanent address and their inheritance.  He is now their first born son. He is their namesake. He is the 7th in a family line. He is their story of 26.

“Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it…..” Genesis 1:28