The Courage of Fidelity

There is a courage of the battle-field, which is often a very splendid thing. There is courage needed for every high adventure, whether it be in Africa or Everest. But perhaps the finest courage in the world (in the eyes of God, if not of men) is the quiet and steady courage of fidelity. To do things when you don't feel like them, to keep on keeping on, to get to duty through headache and through heartache, to ply the drudgery when birds are calling—there are few things finer in the world. That is not a thing of the rare moment—it is carrying victory into the common day. It does not flash in the country of our dreams—it illuminates the dreary levels. And life is never a victorious business unless our common days are full of victories of which no one ever hears anything at all. ~Morrison

FIDEL'ITY, n. [L. fidelitas, from fides, faith, fido, to trust. See Faith.]

• Faithfulness; careful and exact observance of duty, or performance of obligations.
• Firm adherence to a person or party with which one is united, or to which one is bound; loyalty; as the fidelity of subjects to their king or government; the fidelity of a tenant or liege to his lord.
• Honesty; veracity; adherence to truth

Paraphrased from the Websters 1828 Dictionary of the English Language

 This was part of my morning devotions today. And I share it with you as a tribute, and as a prayer.

To those who show fidelity in the duties that they accomplish each day, thank you.

• To the soldiers who fight on dreary, heartbreaking day, after dreary, heartbreaking day to allow me the freedom to publically pray to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,to allow me the freedom to share God's plan of salvation with the world without fear of persecution, and to post these thoughts online.
• To the the single Mommas and Daddies who fight for their children in thankless and lonely ways. For the prayers they whisper and the late hours they must work to provide the best that they can for their children.
• To the pastors who fight the good fight without regret. For their leadership, their prayers on my behalf for the many times that they sacrifice their own desires to be a blessing to another, and for their steadfastness in the face of adversity.
• To those that are willing to put their life in jeopardy to protect me and my family. The police officers, the firefighters, the doctors and nurses, the EMTs and animal control officers... all those who knowingly go to work each day with the possibility of losing their life in the protection of mine, and still press on.
• And to those who are never noticed. For their care and consistency. For the parents who are daily  leading their children through action and word. To the nursery workers that care for the babies at church so that I can hear the sermon without the worry of my children being in danger or unhappy. To the janitors that keep the the public places that I visit free of drugs and broken bottles and cigarette butts.To the people who collect the grocery carts from the parking lots so that I don't hit them with my car or have to go out into the rain to get a cart...

Thank you for your faithful service. As you do your job faithfully and consistently, whether paid or unpaid, please know that you are a blessing to me and I am thanking God for your fidelity.

A prayer for the Christians...
          I pray that we will each remember the faithfulness and loyalty that God has called us to. If we are doing the job that we have been given faithfully and with fidelity, there should never be a soul untouched by love, ears that have not heard the gospel and eyes that have not witnessed the power of saving grace. It isn't the might acts of heroism that make the difference... it is the day to day life that we live and our faithfulness in the moments when we think no one is watching.If there has been a time in your life that you have come to Jesus Christ and trusted Him as your Saviour, you have been given a precious gift to share with everyone that you come into contact with. God may not ask us to do mighty things, but He does ask us to be faithful in the little things.