by Tim Wesemann
God blessed my mom with a strong faith—an enduring love for God and his people. She served as a Christian teacher for thirty years before receiving her Savior’s gift of heaven. Her life and faith impacted the lives of countless children and adults, both directly and indirectly, in an immeasurable way. My mom, who entered heaven in 1985, was also a committed letter writer. The year after her death, when Mother’s Day rolled around, I wrote the following letter. I hope it will bless you as you consider all your mom has meant to you and all the ways in which other women of God have inspired and encouraged you over the years.
Dear Mom,
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, so I thought I’d write you a letter. When I think of you, I often think about your letters, for I never knew a more prolific letter writer. I can still picture you sitting on the sofa with your writing tablet . . . writing letter after letter after letter.
I don’t know if I ever thanked you for all your letters. It was always good to hear from home. Even if at times there wasn’t all that much news, you’d always find some!
“The Cardinals and Cubs are tied 3–3 in the bottom of the sixth. They’re taking the pitcher out! It doesn’t make sense! They always take them out too early! . . . The grass needs mowing and it’s supposed to rain. . . . The Cardinals lost—I knew it! Not much news, so I guess I’ll go to bed. Love, Mom.”
Thanks for all the letters you shared with me, Mom—I mean ALL the letters. That includes the ones you didn’t write with pen and ink in your familiar style. Those are the ones I appreciate the most, the ones I’ll never forget. Paul must have been describing someone like you when he wrote, “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, . . . written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Corinthians 3:2–3).
Mom, I have forgotten many details from your handwritten letters, but I know I will never lose the letters you allowed God to write through you—as Christ lived his life in you. I’ve stored them in my heart. Christ’s distinctive handwriting, his compassionate style and personal touch, were evident in everything you did.
Today I also thank God for the letters he has written through me because of you. I see them in my life, my home, my parenting, and my own children—even though my children never had the opportunity to know you. Your letters of love (via God’s love) show up everywhere!
The Cardinals are losing, Mom. Maybe they took the pitcher out too soon. I want you to know that I’m winning, even though I selfishly think you were taken out too early. Yet sometimes it’s hard to realize you’re gone, because your heaven-sent letters are written on my heart.
With love from your son, through the love of the Son of God!
Christ’s Letters—Through You!
Letter writing, at least the pen-and-paper version, seems to have gone by the wayside. Yet, you are indeed a letter writer. Like my mom, you are living a life sure to impact others in immeasurable ways!
You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
2 Corinthians 3:3
While we know this is true, we don’t know the exact details. We’re never sure exactly how God will choose to use us to lift up and encourage the body of Christ. Here at CTA, for example, we think almost hourly about you and the individuals to whom you minister. As we create, design, and distribute products to assist servants like you, our prayers ascend to heaven for you. We pray our products will help you in the task of building faith and directing people to Jesus Christ.
As you choose Mother’s and Father’s Day gifts, know that we have wrapped each of our products in prayer, asking the Lord to write his message of grace and encouragement on the hearts of those who receive them.
Write on, Spirit-directed letter writers.
Tim Wesemann
Contact the author at TimWrite@aol.com
www.FoolishWords.com
