Letter Perfect

2 Corinthians 3:2-3 (NASB)

You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;  being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Right after Thanksgiving,  I received something very unusual in my mailbox. Not my inbox...my mailbox. Stuck amongst the circulars, the Christmas adds and general junk mail,  a remnant of days past appeared. The feel of it in my hands made me anxious to view its contents. 

Colorful, happy with its sun sticker, the envelope's instructions included the To: and a From: 

I opened the side and carefully pulled out the stationary viewing the beautiful script of a handwritten letter.  

From my friend Soo, I've only known her these last two years.  She is a young mother, home schooler, crafter, gardener and fellow Pinterest enthusiast. She attended my church. Thankfully, because of ministry that brings different woman in all different stages of life together, we connected. Sometimes, woman  remain in their own swirling hoola-hoop of clicks, and nobody can see a way in. God's circle of fellowship never closes off, but expands, pulls us in, empowers us to move out. I am blessed Soo tossed a hoop my way.  She is a joy to know, beautiful and spunky. 

The Apostle Paul compared the Church in Corinth like an open letter, (in another translation), reflecting transformed and transparent lives. The movement of the Holy Spirit in the Church was evident!   In Soo's letter, she wrote of her new family adventure, moving to the Oregon back country, living in a small trailer with her family. They wait and plan for their new house to be built and more importantly, their patient wait on the Lord for a new and exciting purpose. In a down-sized lifestyle, this new forest of opportunity awaits them.  Her letter encouraged me to trust in God's plan and continue to venture out! 

Have you written a "letter" lately to someone? Maybe you still send out Christmas cards. If you do, I encourage you to write a little hand-written personal note. Yes, it takes time. Yes, stamps cost more money these days. Soon obsolete, antiquated, the gift of cursive writing in a sealed envelope is fleeting. Write one to your kids, your grandkids and mail it. What a treasure!  

Lord, You communicated to us in so many beautiful ways. The Ten Commandments were written on slabs of stone with Your finger and presented to Israel by Moses. David composed Psalms and prayers to speak to You and praise You. Solomon spoke his wisdom through the Ecclesiastes, I imagine his thoughts in a journal.  The Apostle Paul wrote to the churches to exhort and encourage.  Though we are thankful for our keyboards, the excitement of a personal letter is a blessing. Thank you Lord for this blessing, this friend. Encourage us to take the time to bless others with the written word...the hand written word.  Thank you for writing Your love on our hearts. Amen.