Faithfulness Matters

Faithfulness matters. A hidden message in my granddad’s desk reminded me of that truth . . .

Passed down first to my mom, then to me, my granddad’s beautiful mahogany desk is a connection to my grandparents and to my childhood. I remember looking at the carved drawers and compartments when I was a little girl and asking my grandmother if I could open them all. But she said Granddad paid the bills at his desk, so I’d better not disturb things. Then she took me in the kitchen and gave me cake.

Decades later, instead of paying bills here, I write. Once when I should have been working, I decided to look for secret compartments. After all, hidden areas were popular in antique furniture, and if my granddad’s desk wasn’t antique, it was close. I examined the angled drawers and felt for sliding panels. Nothing. A little carved door in the center of the desk opened to another compartment, and I was certain I’d find a false back. Nope. But when I jiggled the decorative columns on either side of the small door, two narrow boxes came out.

I shook out the little boxes and found a slice of my grandparents’ lives. A few bills, notes regarding medical appointments and prescriptions, and part of a bank statement filled one box. The other held a small memo pad in which my granddad journaled the poignant challenges of my grandmother’s declining health. I glimpsed his love, concern, and struggles. I felt the depth of his grief as he recorded the date of her death and the simple words “trying to adjust.” Though I’m sure their lives had ups and downs, my grandparents were married for seventy years. And when my grandmother was unable to care for herself, my granddad faithfully took care of her even though he was 90. I doubt he ever thought his granddaughter would find the hidden boxes in his desk and write about his faithfulness. He just did the right thing.

Sometimes being faithful in difficult circumstances is hard. Showing up day after day to a less than fulfilling job. Spending weeks on a presentation only a handful of people will see. Following Jesus in a world bent on making its own definition of right and wrong. We wonder if anyone sees our struggles or if what we do makes a difference. But 1 Corinthians 15:58 declares “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” Faithfulness matters–to God, to ourselves, to those around us.

God sees our struggles. Don’t be discouraged in doing what is right. Hold onto 1 Chronicles 28:20: “Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished.”

Stay faithful. God will use you to make a difference—both in the present and for generations to come.

Now it’s your turn! I’d love to hear your thoughts!