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You got a letter ! I would run down two flights of stairs and retrieve the letter out of the hand of my grandpa who stood at the bottom of the staircase waiting for me with a huge grin on his face. ” Love Birds” – he would say. I was receiving a letter from my sweetheart who later would become my husband. I looked forward to those letters every week as we were apart during my first two years of college. Now I must confess we saw each other almost every weekend but we did live about 2 hours apart and 25 years ago we didn’t have cell phones or i pads with Skype. We couldn’t afford those long distance phone calls, so we relied on letter writing to stay connected. We were not in constant contact via text messaging like most of us are today. I loved getting those letters every week. I have them saved in a storage tub in my basement and every few years we bring it out and sit down and reminisce. It is fun to re – read what was so important to us then and how now after 25 years of marriage somethings have changed yet so much is the same. Our kids roll their eyes and say ” you and Dad sure were mushy in your letters”. It still brings a smile to my face.
I loved going to the mailbox when I was a little girl too. My Grandma and Great Aunt were taking a trip around the world and they were sending me 3D postcards. If you have never seen a 3D card, they truly are remarkable. You feel as if you could jump right into the card and be a part of the story. The cards arrived stamped from all over the world and sweet notes penned in my aunts familiar script. I still can picture my mom and I looking through all the cards that would arrive, definitely a fond childhood memory.
I loved being pen pal to my grandma in Minnesota and my sweet aunt in Oregon. They loved writing letters too. My grandma could take a whole page describing the potluck she attended and what all the ladies had prepared. When we looked through my grandmas things after she had died, she had saved all the letters from my sisters and I – they were tied with a blue ribbon. Words in familiar handwriting are so special aren’t they?
When was the last time you sat down and wrote a letter to someone on a beautiful piece of stationery? It has been awhile for me. I too have been caught up in the now technology of email and texts. I still love to read letters and when someone takes the time to write to you, it really is a special occasion. You never know what your words mean to others. A handwritten card or letter is far superior to a typed e-mail.
God must be a huge fan of letter writing because that is how most of the new testament is presented to us. The Apostle Paul was an incredible letter writer. If you think about it , we learn so much of the life of Christ and we receive so much instruction and love through these ancient letters. Paul used this form of communication to tell the world about Christ, to thank and encourage the members of the early church. These letters are our connection to Christ too. God spoke to those in the early church through these letters and now in 2012 to us as well. I am thankful for letters.
My encouragement to you this week is to read Paul’s letters in the new testament. See how he shares emotion, concern, gratitude, and most importantly the message of salvation. You will be blessed . On a personal note, what if we took the time this week to sit down and write someone a letter – that is your challenge. I am sure you will make somebody’s day much brighter.
Blessings !