The Red Folder and the Green Folder
My father was a pastor for 35 years, as I have mentioned in previous weekly emails. During his career he had mountaintops and valleys, just as we all do, but I think these highs and lows are often magnified for pastors. He put in long hours and worked hard (to the point of being hospitalized in his first congregation). He faced criticism, enjoyed validation and thanks for his work, saw people come to Christ under his preaching of the Word, and helped his congregations grow in their faith. As you can tell, I greatly admire what he did. But one day I came across something very odd.
When I was a teenager, I would sometimes help my father file things in his office (he was a “pile maker”), and one of those times I came across two thick folders: a red one and a green one. It was peculiar, since every other of his hundreds of folders were of the plain off-white manila variety. I started to go through these two colorful folders and was captivated. They were full of letters, handwritten notes, comments he wrote on scraps of paper, etc.
The red folder was the first I opened. As I made my way through it, I began to get upset. Here were notes and other correspondence that criticized my dad, told him how ineffective he was at his job, and sometimes even cursed at him. By the time I was halfway through the folder, I slammed it shut and had to stop reading. Then I turned my attention to the other folder – the green one.
As I began to read the contents of this one, it was like a breath of fresh air. In it were thank you notes for his hospital visits, heartfelt expressions of love from those who had come to Christ under his preaching, heart-wrenching thanks from families who benefited from his funeral for their loved one, and even notes from children drawing him walking back and forth as he preached (a signature move for him). The file was amazing, and I read through the whole thing. But at this point I was really confused; why the two folders?
That evening I asked him about them, and he seemed surprised I had read their contents, but he wasn’t upset. He simply said, “When I become proud of all I’ve accomplished in my career and begin to consider what a gift I am to everyone around me, I open the red file and start to read the comments. But when I’m down and discouraged and see no positive effects from my ministry, I open the green folder and read from that one.” That’s all he said, and we went back to watching TV.
Here I am, decades later. My father has passed into glory, and his legacy lives on in the lives and faith of thousands of people. I too am part of a ministry, and I pray that in some way, God will continue to use me to work out His purpose. I try to remember Colossians 3:23-24 – Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
We all get praised and criticized during our lives, sometimes legitimately and sometimes without basis. However, I believe that God calls us to be faithful, and not swing too much on the feelings and words of man. However, that’s easier said than done. We are still human and will always be influenced by those around us.
I have my work materials upstairs these days. Business cards, brochures, stationery, envelopes, etc. However, there are more important items than that. You will also find two folders, a red one and a green one. They are there for the mountaintops and the valleys.