The Desk

By Elizabeth Fields

3^rd Place in the YLCF Story-Writing Competition

As the young, teenage girl timidly entered her grand-father’s study, she became overcome with curiosity when she saw the large, old, oak desk sitting in the corner. Wondering about the contents, she quietly tiptoed over and took a peek.

She first saw the books sitting on top. In the center of the desktop was lying an old scuffed up black Bible with many ruffled pages, looking very well worn. The margins of each page were filled with handwritten commentaries on the verses. Flipping through the Bible, she found several verses highlighted on each page. She could tell without a doubt that her grandfather had cherished this Bible, his most precious jewel. Sitting beside the Bible was a devotional book, which probably had inspired him for many years. A few pens and a highlighter were scattered across the desk, with the ink running low from daily use. In the corner of the desk was a half-empty box of tissues—most likely used to wipe up many a tear from pouring out his heart to the Lord, and grieving for his sins and the sins of others.

Seeing all this made the girl want to know more about what was inside the desk. Peering into the top drawer, she noticed a stack of beautiful and inspiring note cards inscribed with Bible verses. He had used these many times to write words of encouragement to her and others. Lying flat in the drawer was a sheet of stamps, eagerly waiting to be licked and stuck on the envelope. In the back of the drawer was a small stack of colorful Christian tracts that she remembered her grandfather carrying with him in his coat pocket, pulling one out as often as possible to witness to others.

Enthusiastically, the girl opened the bottom and last drawer, the file drawer. In it she found a long row of files of all sorts, ranging from sermon notes to letters from friends. One particular file that caught the girl’s eye was entitled “Answers to Prayer.” Scanning through the pages, she saw an abundance of prayers God had answered. There were several pages about different missionaries that had been protected when traveling overseas. Another was a list with hundreds of names of people that had become saved. Towards the end of the stack she saw one paper that said simply, “Granddaughter healed from Leukemia.”

With tears in her eyes, she remembered that wonderful day years ago, when after the long, risky operation, the doctors came in and announced to her mother, father, and grandfather, sitting by the bedside, that their precious little girl’s body was free of this terrible cancer. After hearing this, her grandfather knelt down at the bedside and prayed, thanking God for healing her.

With this desk and its contents now implanted in her memory, the girl somberly left the room. She knew she would probably never return again, for just three days ago her dearest Grandfather had met his Lord and Savior face to face.