Old Letters

I write to you, children, because you know the Father… 1John 2:14

As I continue on my closet cleaning and packing quest this summer, I was getting a little grumpy about the whole process.  It isn’t my favorite way to spend summer days but every now and then I run across a treasure hidden in a box or on a top shelf that adds some joy to the job.  One day last week I found a bundle of letters and cards all tied together with a ribbon.  Some of them were from decades ago and it was fun to look through them and remember.

Looking through that bundle of notes and letters I felt so loved and appreciated.  I was touched not so much by the words on the page but by the investment of time, energy and thought that went into that bundle.  There was shopping, writing, looking up an address and getting to the post office to buy a stamp and pop it into the mailbox.  Today, we do things so differently.  I remember my mom and my aunts had a drawer full of cards to choose from and a trip to the post office was a daily event.  It isn’t often that I go to the mail box and find something truly exciting that I can’t wait to rip open.  Today, we communicate mostly by email or text and the process is certainly more efficient, cheap and speedy.  I love my pile of letters but if I think about  all the communication I send and receive in a week and having to do it all by hand and mail it would require a whole extra day in the week to keep up…plus another side job to pay the postage and buy the cards!  Things change!

As I sat with the pile of letters on my desk I found one from my dad.  My dad isn’t one for flowering things up or using more words than necessary so when I found one that simply said, “I love you,. Your Mom would be proud.” I realized it didn’t matter how the message was sent, it was all about how the message was received.  I moved on to another closet all the while wondering if Jesus would communicate through a long lovely letter or if he was more like an email or text.  I began conjuring up in my mind all the messages I thought he’d like me to hear and what they might look like.  I suppose sometimes he’d be gentle with a long poetic love letter.  I’m sure there are days he would give me a direct loving message of truth like my dad and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit there would be days he’d like to send me a few word text in all caps with some exclamation points at the end.  

It was great to look through that stack and be reminded of peoples thoughts but the Father is sending us message all day, every day to direct, love, instruct and encourage us.  He communicates through Scripture, through people and through those little whispers and nudges we get when we call his name and invite him to come into our mess.  My prayer as I tucked that treasured bundle away in a box was that I’d pay more attention to his communication with me.  I pray I’ll be a better listener and live his words not bundle them up and tuck them away forgetting what he really wants me to know.  His basic message to all of us is the same…”I love you more than you are capable of loving.”  “I will always be right here waiting for you to invite me in.” and “Make me the  one thing you love more than anything or anyone and all will be better than you can imagine.”

A Seed To Plant:  Write two messages this week. Write one to someone who needs to hear something good.  Send it in any way you’d like, just share some love and encouragement.  The second letter is to your Heavenly  Father.  You can tell, ask, wonder and offer your plans, just spill our your heart in writing as if writing to your very best friend.​

Blessings on your day!