Tangible Affirmation

Tangible Affirmation

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.

John 1:1, 4

Considering the vast array of exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution, you might easily miss the display of the personal effects found on Abraham Lincoln the night he was shot. These include an embroidered handkerchief, a penknife, a spectacle case repaired with cotton string, and a Confederate five-dollar bill. But the real treasure was the final item found on Lincoln: a worn newspaper clipping extolling his accomplishments as president. It begins, “Abe Lincoln is one of the greatest statesmen of all time.”

Does it seem odd to you that Lincoln would so obviously cherish these words of affirmation? Of course, we think of our nation’s sixteenth president as a great man, a great president, indeed as one of the greatest statesmen of all time. But when Lincoln was president, he wasn’t as popular as he became after his death. The nation was bitterly divided, and Lincoln’s leadership was constantly threatened. He was the object of a critical press. He was viciously criticized for refusing to compromise on the slavery issue. At the same time, he was strongly criticized for not moving quickly enough in abolishing slavery. So in the midst of this barrage of criticism, Abraham Lincoln needed something in his pocket to remind himself that his critics were not his only observers. He carried with him a tangible manifestation of affirmation, a physical reminder that someone believed in him.

Just think, if a tangible reminder like this was valuable to our powerful president, how much more valuable would it be to your own husband or wife to receive a note or symbolic object from you? Maybe he or she already has such a thing from you—and vice versa. What is it, and why is it meaningful in your relationship to have these kinds of tangible affirmations? Or if not, what sort of thing could you tuck away for your spouse to find and be reminded of your loving support? Most important of all, how can your relationship be strengthened by God’s own icon of affirmation, his Holy Word?

I am not at all concerned about [whether God is on our side], for I know that the Lord is always on the side of the right. But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord’s side.

—Abraham Lincoln