“Thanks for being such an encouragement to me through my college years. Your Christmas letters were helpful. I grew to look forward to them. Presently I have a picture of your family in my wallet which you sent one Christmas. It’s a good reminder of my roots at Middle Creek!”
“I can’t speak for the rest of the class, only for myself, but you have helped me shamefully realize how ignorant and slack I am about knowledge of the Bible and applying it to life. I’ve been leaning toward the wrong direction for years. So I’ve wiped the dust off my Bible end am simply amazed with learning about end experiencing so many marvelous things about Godl”
“Just a note of appreciation to you In your monumental task of guiding our church. It doesn’t go unnoticed.”
“Just a short note of thanks for what you have meant to me. At times when I needed encouraging, then at times when I needed guidance, you have always been there. You have listened and you have strengthened me. You have helped me to keep my eyes on Jesus, and not on others.”
“I will always consider you to be my spiritual father because of the constant inspiration that you have been to me. I am sure you don’t realize how often I have been strengthened end encouraged by either your words or life.”
The letter file! Everyone should have one. There’s no way one can keep all the correspondence that accumulates through the years, but the special notes and letters, well, they’re in a file all of their own. And in dark times of discouragement, what an inspiration it is to just browse through these gems! I get encouraged all over again!
Also in my special file are some things too painful to reopen and relive. The unsigned letter along with a poem entitled “The Modernist Preacher Entering Hell.” The judgmental note criticizing last Sunday’s message. The lengthy missive stating what all’s wrong with me and my leadership in the church. I find no need to reread these letters because I already know what they say — some of them verbatim.
But the encouraging notes and letters, ah, they’re like cold water on a scorching day! Just as the Apostle Paul was encouraged by gifts from the Philippian Church (Philippians 4:1417) during his time of need in a Roman prison cell, just so many of the notes end letters in my special file are “gifts” to be enjoyed again and again!