An Encouraging Thought

Dear Friends,

I got the most interesting letter the other day. With email and texting and social media, there aren't nearly as many notes and letters floating around in the snail-mail as there used to be. But only last week I received a genuine, hand-written letter in my mailbox.

The only thing is that I have no idea who the person is who sent it to me. Oh, she signed the letter, I could give you her name, I have it right here. It's just that I don't have any idea who it is. It was totally unsolicited and sent to "Raymond Thompson and Family," so I knew right away that she didn't know me because Raymond is my first name and I never use it. She must have gotten my name from a mailing list somewhere or out of a phone book (are there still phone books?).

And in her own writing, this person said: "I am writing to share an encouraging thought. Have you ever wondered if God really listens to prayers? We can believe so because of what it says in the Bible?" It went on from there to quote Scripture and assure me that God does hear our prayers, etc. She finished up by saying, "For more encouraging information please visit jw.org," then signed it and sent it to yours truly (and family). She included what we used to call a "religious tract," with more information about jw.com, which, of course, stands for the Jehovah's Witnesses. Have you ever received anything like this in the mail or had one of them show up at your door?

I have to say that my immediate thought was to throw the letter and contents into the recycling bin. I'm pretty busy with plenty of meaningful things and although I've never taken the time to do any real research on the Jehovah's Witnesses, what beliefs I do know of are pretty unique and even a little strange, and most of my friends and relatives would consider them something of a cult. So this letter was on its way to the garbage.

But I loved the first line of her letter: "I am writing to share an encouraging thought." This woman had sat down at her desk or kitchen table, let's say, and written this whole letter out by hand, put a first-class stamp on it, and sent it to me. For all I know, this may be what she does all the time, looks up names and addresses on some sort of list, writes each letter individually, and sends the same message out to dozens of people she doesn't know but wants to reach, hundreds, thousands even. What a commitment she has, as wrong-headed as I may feel her underlying beliefs are, to make sure people are encouraged!

Are we as committed to sharing encouragement with others? Are you? Am I? I can see some of you reaching for a pen and paper and old phone book, and that may be the best way to do it. But maybe the way is to simply do our best to be those who live lives of encouragement, to continually receive the grace and hope that God offers, and then to share that with others when the opportunity arises - as it most assuredly will, as it does all the time! To send that little note of encouragement when we see the need, to share that brief word of encouragement, to encourage that friend or neighbor to come with you to church, to whisper that quiet prayer of encouragement.

Let me finish with the words from this letter writer. She says, "Notice how God is described at Psalm 65:2? 'O Hearer of prayer, to you people of all sorts will come.' Yes, God hears our prayers. He cares about each one of us and we can express to Him what's in our heart."

Now that is an encouraging thought - and one that we also can share with others.

Grace and Hope to you,

Pastor Duane