The Letters

“Such a person should consider this: What we are in the words of our letters when absent, we will be in actions when present.”

2 Corinthians 10:11

“But whoever keeps His word, truly in him the love of God is perfected. This is how we know we are in Him: The one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked.”

1 John 2:5-6

When I was a young teenager, I met the friend of a friend at a birthday party. Tina and I became friends that night and looked forward to the next event. But the next time we got together, she told me that she was moving away.

This was before cell phones, when long distance calls were charged by the minute and not something that teens could really afford. So we became pen pals. We wrote letters back and forth. Each time I would receive a letter, I would quickly write a response, place it in my mailbox the next day, wait a day or two for it to reach her, and she would repeat the process. Like clockwork, a new letter would appear in my box!

We wrote about our experiences and asked and received advice. I’m still eager to get the mail now, even though it is mostly bills or advertisements. Those letters have been kept for years and we have even gotten together to review them.

We’re still good friends. We’ve shared many special times together and were in each other’s weddings. Whenever we can get together in person, we easily catch up. Nowadays, we communicate more often through texting or Facebook. But the memories of those years of letter writing still bring back wonderful feelings of connection. Knowing that something special was coming my way made it easier to get through any difficult times. I am thankful for our friendship!

The Bible is God’s letter to us. It is God-inspired and handwritten by His believers. We can open the book at any time and find words of love, encouragement, and direction. We can share what we find with others.

Prayer:

Dear Lord,
Thank you for the Holy Bible. Thank You for those You have sent before us to preserve Your words for us. Thank You for those friends who send true, kind and loving words our way. Please help us to do the same for others in our lives.
In Christ’s name, Amen.

Journal: Who can you encourage today with a short letter or text?