The Joy of Sending a Letter

When I was a little girl, I was pretty introverted and shy.  I often blocked my feelings and emotions from other people. Instead, people would find me with a smile on my face  despite what I actually felt on the inside.  Contrarily, one of the ways that I would tell someone what was on my heart was when I would send them a letter.

One example of this was when my younger brother and I would fight a lot. Like many siblings, he was one of my best friends but we would also spend a lot of time annoying each other. So when we were sent to our rooms because of fighting, we'd find ourselves moments later sending each other letters in our pretend mailbox in the hallway.

Often, one of us would roll a ball to the other's door to notify them of a letter we snuck out to place in the cabinet drawers of the hallway. The other would sneak out to retrieve the letter and respond. Comically, the letters would be us talking out the issue and forgiving each other .   

As a teenager, when I went through a rebellious stage, I would only open up to my parents through writing them letters of how I was feeling. It was just my way of communicating. I don't like confrontations and being able to express myself through writing was the only way I felt it could be done.

"A letter from the heart may never be judged or graded,

 for it is the masterpiece of one' s love."- Anonymous

To this day, I will write letters. I love to not only send letters to work out a problem, but letters to encourage as well.  To me, there is something about sending and receiving a handwritten letter. It's a tradition that is getting lost in this day of technology.

I often think of the times in the Bible where Paul would write letters to the churches. They were not only letters of  behavior but they were also letters of encouragement. He wrote with wisdom and he shared his own stumbling blocks as well.

As believers, I think we could use written words to communicate in various ways as well. Often times, we all get busy and forget to communicate. I find my source of strength sometimes through  writing, whether sending someone a letter or taking the time to journal. I am thankful for that gift that God has given me. I hope to use it to be a blessing to others and to mend relationships as well. 

Let me be an encouragement to you today to send someone a letter,  whether you deliver in the mail or in person. Write your husband a letter and share with him how much you admire him. Write a parent and thank them for how they raised you. Write a friend and encourage them with something they are struggling with in their life. Write someone who is hurting you and try to make it right with them. 

Find some beautiful stationary or create your own.  Find a quiet place and express yourself through your thoughts.  May you find the joy and peace that you hope to gain from the letter that you send.

*** Do you enjoy writing? Do you have a blog? Come join the party. Every Friday, you are given a word/topic to write about on your blog. Spend five minutes (or in my case more), and link up your blog at www.katemotuang.com.