Celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration.
- from Esther 9:21-22

For Mordecai and his crew, Purim was a day of celebration. They were scheduled to be slaughtered. But, by God’s surprising grace, they were spared and, more than that, even exalted.

Can you imagine the range of emotions they would have felt?

When the initial death-sentence was passed, the Jews responded with sorrow and mourning, but not surprise. Living in exile, they experienced oppression nearly every day. Their destruction felt like a settled, foregone conclusion.

When the tide turned and Mordecai rose to power, it must have felt like the bright sun broke through the darkly looming cloudy skyscape. Of course they would find joy and celebration!

But notice what still hasn’t changed. They are still living in exile. But the people don’t let the ongoing difficulty prevent them from celebrating God’s provision.

When we celebrate Chatham Serves on Sunday, we know that a lot remains undone, unfixed, and untransformed in our lives. We’ll do yard work at a local school while our yards need attention. We’ll visit widows while still wrestling with our singleness. We’ll show God’s love to others while we still carry our own questions about God.

Celebration and service take place right in the middle of real life. What real life realities do you think could make it difficult for you to join in the spirit of Chatham Serves? How do you think taking a day to serve will shape the way you experience hard realities in your life?