Nothing is working? Keep going anyway.
We persevere even though there is no guaranteed outcome
Julee lived in Pennsylvania, while I grew up in Michigan. But most every December and summer, she and her family made the long drive to visit us. We were close cousins and for those weeks, we crammed in as much time together as possible. Her and I both were surrounded by brothers at home so we loved getting to run around, French braid our hair, and swing high in the backyard tire swing our Grandpa built.
We laughed and laughed, exhausted by the end of each day.
Each night, her mom would tuck her into her sleeping bag on the floor, but first she got out a tube of white cream. Julee would sit in her pajamas, hands outspread and toes naked. One by one, my aunt applied dabs of cream on each finger and toe, gently rubbing it in.
I don’t remember smiles, but I don’t remember tears either. I just know that they thought my sweet cousin had some type of fungal infection, turning her nails stubby, stunted and yellowed.
They applied the cream every night in hopes the infection would go away. But even after years, her nails continued to eat away at themselves. It got so bad that other parents warned their daughters not to hold her hands as a precaution. Even though it was understandable, it still hurt Julee’s feelings.
Faithfulness, perseverance and endurance isn’t glamorous. It’s not often applauded, and it can be really, really boring. My aunt and cousin sat together every night trying different creams, always hopeful for change. When nothing changed, they kept at it and didn’t give up.
The people we serve thrive when we don’t give up. Our time and energy is not wasted because it is directly benefiting the well-being of those in need. The paperwork, meetings, emails, hard conversations, awkward hugs, and summer camps are similar to cream on a wound. We have to apply the cream with loving hands in order to communicate love to a hurting world.
And we do it for years, even when we aren’t sure it’s “working.”
There is no guarantee of outcomes when you serve people. The church has proven that, because with time, it can be disheartening to hear of people falling out of step with Christ after years of faithful ministry.
But the Lord has given us everything we need to do what He has called us to do.
2 Peter 1:3 says,
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”
I just finished listening to an audiobook by Karen Stiller titled Holiness Here.
In the book she details time after time when she admits to not feeling holy, but doing the holy thing anyway. She understands that we try our best to be faithful in the little things; the attending of communion on Sunday morning, the opening of doors for a neighbor, the forgiveness of husbands and kids and cranky parents.
Looking back, I see my aunt and cousin, crouched in a darkened room, rubbing cream on tender fingers. It was a lesson in holiness, faithfulness, and perseverance even before I fully knew what those words meant.
Before Julee went off to college, someone suggested trying Vicks on her fingers. Through years of doctors, they had realized the cause was psoriasis with a secondary yeast infection and Vicks, for some unknown reason, was the only thing that worked.
Today my cousin has beautiful nails. She lives in Indiana with her husband and six kids. She is a picture of faithfulness, as is her mom who has served in the same church in Pennsylvania alongside her husband faithfully for decades. My aunt and cousin's beautiful smiles radiate the peace of God that is in their hearts. They serve in love and faithfulness through the power of unconditional love from God every day.
Apply the cream.
Love on a hurting world.
Don't give up.
Love this. Apply the cream. Don’t give up.