THE RESOLUTE RESOLVED TO MAKE A RESOLUTION
When writing an article, I first of all pray that God would guide me. Then in the waiting, I am either given a word or an issue comes to mind. Then as I begin to research, the path of the article begins to form. The word that came to mind this month was RESOLVE.
I first of all RESOLVED to find a good definition of RESOLVE beyond my own assumption. The internet provided the meaning: to find an answer to a question, problem, or dispute. There was the idea that it should be a firm decision vs a wishful or hopeful thing. I also noticed much interest in the difference between RESOLVE AND RESOLUTE. RESOLUTE means marked by firm determination. I found that RESOLVE is a verb and a noun, whereas, RESOLUTE is an adjective but also sometimes a noun.
My next thought was of the Resolute Desk in the White House. A double pedestal partner’s desk made from the oak timbers of the British ship H.M.S. Resolute as a gift to President Rutherford B. Hayes from Queen Victoria in 1880. It has been used by every president since Hayes except President Johnson, Nixon, and Ford.
I RESOLVED to know what a partner’s desk was and found that it was a large, double-sided desk with storage (drawers/cupboards) on both ends, allowing two people to sit opposite each other and work together, sharing a central work surface. Originating in UK law and banking firms for collaborative work, these are finished on all sides, so they can be placed in the center of a room, offering symmetry, substantial storage, and a classic, authoritative look.
I then questioned the RESOLVE I had to pursue the mystery of the H.M.S. Resolute, but continued onward. It seems that the H.M.S. Resolute was sent to find the survivors of an English expedition searching for the Northwest Passage in 1845. The Resolute was trapped in the ice and abandoned but later found by Americans who bought, refitted and returned the ship to Queen Victoria as a symbol of peace. When the H.M.S. Resolute was decommissioned and broken up in 1879, its timbers were used to make the desk sent to President Hayes.
The desk itself was originally placed in the President’s Office on the second floor of the White House. When the West Wing was constructed, the desk remained in the same room which now was the President’s Study. It was
moved to the Ground Floor during Truman’s renovation into the Broadcast Room. It was moved to the Oval Office during President Kennedy’s term. Pres. Johnson sent it to the Kennedy Library traveling exhibition and then to the Smithsonian.
In January 1977, Pres. Carter returned it to the Oval Office where it remained until Pres. George Bush removed it to his residence. All presidents since have RESOLVED to leave it in the Oval Office. The RESOLUTE has hopefully found a home. What does it all mean?
As we start a new year there is an expectation to start afresh. We make New Year’s RESOLUTIONS to eat less, eat healthier, lose weight, exercise, start a business, improve a business, close a business and on and on. We RESOLVE in January but are not RESOLUTE in February and the RESOLUTION is over in March.
We need to learn something from the Resolute Desk. It started as a military vessel but ended up a rescue vessel. It was stuck in ice but was purchased and made a peace offering. It was put out of service and torn apart. It was made into a partnership desk designed for people to work together. Although moved from place to place, it still remains in our President of the United States’ office in a place of honor.
Are we as RESOLUTE? The citizens of the U.S. have had a rough year. Our Congress couldn’t sit down and work together. Democrats and Republicans throw tantrums, call names, and speak words of death and destruction. There are no peace offerings.
WE THE PEOPLE have a choice. We can RESOLVE to live our lives according to God’s expectations. We can read, study, stay informed, and pray to discern the truth about events in our lives. We can RESOLVE to let love rule our lives and not hate. We can RESOLVE to forgive others and not let the sun go down on our anger and if we are RESOLUTE our coming year will be the best yet. No more RESOLUTIONS, just be RESOLUTE with what you know already.
kln
So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right
time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.
Galatians 6:9
The Message