You’ve Got Mail

You walk in the door leaving the stresses of your job in the garage, where you will pick them up tomorrow. Now it’s time for supper, kitchen clean-up, a little yard work before it’s dark, and then pay a few bills before bed. Ho hum. But first, you rifle through the mail. Bill, catalog, another cruise advertisement, bill, letter, dentist appointment reminder…. Wait! Go back! It’s a letter. I got a letter. It doesn’t look like an invitation. It’s not my birthday. I don’t even think it is a thank you card. It’s a real, this-changes-my-whole-day, letter! Been there?

You brew the coffee, put up your lunch bag, let the dog out and make sure all is right in your little world before you sit down to tear open this rare envelope. You want to savor it. I will typically read it once, quickly jumping from bit to bit as if it will vanish if I don’t read it fast enough. Then I reread it and let the words enter my heart and mind like a good song.

That’s the power of a letter.

It is an art that is vanishing with the click of an email, or even faster, a text. I’m not opposed to those. I use them all the time. But there is an uniqueness to a handwritten letter. Words are chosen carefully and put down in ink for all to see and often kept for posterity. Just after I finished 8th grade my parents decided to move us to another town. It was actually an adjoining town to where I had grown up, but it might as well been another universe. Starting high school with no friends was terrifying. I remember when I received a letter from my old Best Friend Forever back home. Her words soothed an anxious soul. She missed me “lots” and quoted an Amy Grant song that we both loved, “in a little while, we’ll be with the Father”. (I told you it was traumatic.). I still have that letter.

I have a stack of postcards that a close friend sent to me as her and her hubby traveled for weeks at a time after he retired. Her day-to-day adventures and laughs were shared with me to refresh my non-vacationing soul. It was as if I was making memories with them.

Speaking of hubbies, mine is a man of few words; but I have a heart shaped box full of letters he wrote before we married. Priceless. What a gift that will be for my grandkids.

Then there are the letters that came in the mail from a friend at the very moment it was so desperately needed. “I want you to know how much our friendship means to me.”, “I prayed for you this morning.”, or “I read this scripture today and I thought of you.” Those are the ones you pull out of the folds of your Bible and reread on those days your love tank is sucking fumes……or on just any day a “word hug” is needed.

Letter writing is biblical. David wrote letters as king. Elijah wrote a letter in 2 Chronicles and Jeremiah is recorded as a letter writer as well. The first apostles wrote letters to the early church, Peter wrote several letters and of course there is Paul writing the epistles (letters) to the Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians and so on. Some of the most famous letters were those Jesus instructed John to write to the seven churches in Revelation.

We are still rereading those and will continue until the words are all fulfilled. Their words were of course inspired of God and Holy. (2 Timothy 3:16). Ours can be also. I’m not saying that people will one day memorize your letter to Aunt Myrtle, but the words you prayerfully scribble could be the very encouragement or truth that God would say to her today.

“The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain…”

Proverbs 10:11

“The words of the godly encourage many,…”

Proverbs 10:21

“Some people make cutting remarks; but the words of the wise bring healing.”

Proverbs 12:18

That note that you keep putting off could make all the difference, even bring healing. God can use your stationery and pen to give life. There will be a word or story or a question that shows concern and it makes an impact on the reader’s day and ultimately her life. When she reads your story she’ll know you think enough of her to share. She will pull it out to show family and they too will enjoy your tales.

I know the blank sheet of paper, no matter how beautiful, can be intimidating. Where do you start? What should you say? Well, let me answer with a question. What were the thoughts that made you want to write this person in the first place? Do you have a word to encourage? Do you miss them? Have you a memory that made you smile? I can’t imagine anything sweeter than being reminded of a special laugh shared between friends. Sometimes we have something difficult to say or too awkward tete-a-tete. That is the perfect time to write those words. You can practice the lay of them and get the meaning just right. For those of us who stumble frequently over spoken words, writing them gives the pause I need to make my thoughts meaningful.

Let me also encourage the men who are reading today, this pertains particularly to you. History tells us that President Ronald Reagan was a prolific letter writer, having written at least 10,000 letters in his lifetime. His legacy includes letters of appreciation and encouragement to prime ministers as well as private citizens, his family, and even children. There are volumes of love letters he wrote to his dear Nancy. Thankfully, many of our forefathers were the same. Much of what we know about their beliefs and convictions is from letters they wrote. Can you imagine what an impact you could make on future generations in your family? I think I have kept every letter that my dad ever wrote me. Your written word, Dad, could be the word needed and held to for decades.

Speaking of legacies, they are not made of phone calls. You can’t reread a telephone conversation. Even in the repeating of the story often the truth is lost. Texts are necessary and memes are hilarious, but a written word of truth lasts. Often, I find myself ending a letter with scripture. It’s almost as if to say, “Never mind all the gobbledy gook I just jotted in the last six paragraphs. Here is the truth.”

I found this quote and thought it pretty much nailed me.

A woman seldom writes her Mind, but in her postscript.

Richard Steele, Spectator

Paul would often close his letters with final instructions. Greet these friends, beware of those, hope to see you soon. So-and-so sends his love. Then he would evidently sign it with his own large handwriting. Maybe someone did the letter writing from dictation (often Paul’s hands were chained) and he would sign. It was important to him. It’s the handshake at the end of the message and proved it was from him.

Peter said in 1 Peter 5:12, “My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.” Those words are still assuring to the follower of Christ. I want to write letters that encourage and speak grace to the reader, causing them to stand firm and continue in the battle. Don’t you?

So what do you say? Grab a nice sheet of paper and your favorite pen and “hug” someone with words today.

You want my address???