An avid letter writer, Princess
Diana often sat down and wrote thank you notes to dinner companions immediately
after arriving home from the dinner. It has been reported that she personally
wrote thank you notes for thousands of gifts received after Prince William’s
birth. When you read through some of the samples online, her hand-written notes
were intimate, caring, encouraging, and grateful, no matter the occasion.
We can also look back 2,000 years
to another letter writer, the Apostle Paul, who undoubtedly would share the
same surprise as Diana that his letters are still being pored over in this new
millennium. Paul used his letters to instruct and admonish, but he also used
them to encourage. His letters still encourage us today.
First,
I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being
reported all over the world. God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the
gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at
all times …
Romans 1:8-10 NIV
We see Paul’s encouragement again
in his first letter to the Corinthians.
I
always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For
in him you have been enriched in every way … Therefore you do not lack any
spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He
will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of
our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with
his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:4-9
Paul acknowledged how another
Christian gave him “great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have
refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people” (Philemon 7). He was refreshed by
the encouragement he received! Imagine how encouragement from fellow Christians carried him on some of the darkest
days he experienced.
When my grandmother was in the
final years of her life suffering with Parkinson’s, I bought a stack of North
and South Carolina postcards. I knew how much she loved flowers, so most of the
cards had beautiful blossoms on the front. They were much easier for her to
hold in her hand and just look at, even after she’d read them. It also eliminated
any excuse not to write her, no matter how busy my schedule was. I made it a
point to send one to her weekly. After her
death, one of those postcards was discovered inside of her purse.
In our modern day of electronics,
emails, texts, and social media, we can get lured into believing there’s no need
for snail mail any more. But think of a shut-in or someone with a new diagnosis
of cancer or grieving the loss of a loved one. It seems like such a simple
concept, but you may never know how much that note means to them.
Have
you ever received a card or note that really blessed you? I’d love to hear
about it!
**Leave a comment to get your name in the drawing for Just Claire by Jean Ann Williams! Winner announced in the June 19th issue of the Weekly Windup.**
Photos courtesy of Pixabay.com.
