Write the Letter

Somewhere along the way, the art of the letter has succumbed to the brevity and expedience of the text. Rather than go to the expense and trouble of picking up a pen and pouring out one’s heart onto a blank page, it seems the ease of tapping on a screen and pushing “send” has won out.

But I met a young lady the other day who would tell you – write the letter.

Emmy (not her real name) lost her mom a couple of years ago to cancer. She described how she and her mom were so much alike – caring and gentle but not necessarily very expressive with their emotions. Neither of them were very sentimental. Consequently, they weren’t “savers” of any sort of memento or reminder of special events.

On a day when decluttering seemed the thing to do, Emmy decided to sort through a small box of her mother’s belongings. Among other things, she found her mom’s Bible inside. As Emmy paused to rifle through the pages, a compact, folded piece of notebook paper fluttered to the ground. She picked it up, unfolded it, and was stunned by the words she found written in her mother’s handwriting.

As well as Emmy could determine, the letter had been written to her when she was a high school student. The words described a mother’s deep love and devotion to her daughter, the wonderful woman she saw her daughter becoming, and the pride and joy she felt as Emmy’s mother.

Emmy had never doubted her mother’s love, but she was overwhelmed to hold in her hands such a personal, tangible expression of that very love – from a woman known more for her practicality than her sentimentality.

From the moment Emmy discovered the letter, she’s carried it tucked away in her own Bible. That precious, folded piece of notebook paper has become a bridge between two hearts separated by loss but united by a never-ending love of a mother for her daughter.

Emmy would tell you to write the letter.

Scripture is full of letters, and some of the most notable are found in the book of Revelation.

The apostle John was given the charge by Jesus to transcribe letters to seven churches. One of those churches was located in present day Turkey in the city of Philadelphia.

The people of the church there faced trials and persecution from their enemies. Yet immersed in a pagan culture, they’d remained faithful to God. And Jesus had seen it all. He commissioned John to encourage them through a letter.

 Jesus acknowledged their weariness but praised them for keeping His Word, for not denying His name, and for patiently enduring their suffering.

And He made the precious saints of Philadelphia some precious promises to encourage them and give them hope.

He promised them an “open door” of blessings from God. He promised to avenge the hypocrites who had persecuted them. He promised to preserve them in their suffering. He promised to make them pillars in His spiritual Temple in the new Jerusalem and to mark them with the names of God, His holy city, and their Lord Jesus.

For this band of brothers and sisters in Christ, the epistle recorded by John provided a fresh breath of strength, perseverance, and joy in the Lord. Even more so, it was an acknowledgment by the Lord Jesus Himself that their circumstances were seen and known as were their faithfulness and endurance in the face of trials. The letter was a tangible expression of His love.

Take a moment to ask the Lord for the name of someone you know whose shoulders droop under the weight of weariness. Whom do you know who’s almost ready to throw in the towel? Who feels unseen and unloved? Who keeps doing the right thing only to have the wrong thing happen?

You have no idea just how valuable a letter in your handwriting could be. Years from now, someone may be sifting through a box of belongings and run across your words – words that sustained, poured courage into, and spoke love and life just when a soul needed it most.

Go ahead, friend. Write the letter.

(To learn more about the letter to the church in Philadelphia, read Revelation 3:7-13.)