Years ago while looking through my Mom’s photos I discovered a strange box in the back of her dresser drawer. I’d never noticed this before. It was a small greeting card box with faded pink roses on top. I opened it and found a stack of letters addressed to my Mom in her maiden name. Curious, I opened one of them and read the salutation: My love. I smiled, imagining my Dad writing this to my Mom.
I don’t remember anything else the letter said, but I do remember a roughly drawn sketch of a tree stump and underneath it the words, “Sure as grass grows ’round a stump, you are my darling sugar lump.” I couldn’t help but giggle….then my Mom appeared in the doorway.
“What are you doing?” she asked, noticing the box and taking the letter from me. “That’s not anything you need to be reading,” she said.
Still laughing, but touched by my Dad’s romantic attempt at poetry. I apologized. “I’m sorry,” I said. “Are they letters from Daddy when he was in the army?”
Mama nodded and stuffed them back into the box. Realizing I had invaded her privacy, I didn’t ask any more questions…and I never saw the box again.
Being a romantic at heart, I’m a sucker for love letters. To me having a long distance relationship would be ideal. People sometimes say more of what’s in their heart with a pen and paper…. maybe because expressing our feelings face to face is not always easy. Being in love and looking forward to being together someday seems enough reason to make the best of every day.
Falling in love is something most of us look forward to, though for some it never seems to happen. There IS someone for everyone and no one has to miss out on love. The best feeling and the best love stories happen when we develop a relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Jesus meets us on a one to one basis, right where we are. It is a very personal and intimate exchange when we accept the fact that He is real and accept the love He offers. Even better than a romantic love, His is spiritual…. and involves more than just our heart. Matthew 22: 37 tells us, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
Once we accept His love, we can feel it being returned. Human love makes us happy….God’s love brings us joy and completes us, by changing our hearts and freeing us from the guilt of sin. He is not physically with us, but we know He’s there and we can read His love letters to us on the pages of His book….the Bible.
Written for everyone, the Bible is personal in that He speaks to each of us individually through the scriptures. As with any love letters, we read it over and over, memorizing some parts, hoping to learn more about Jesus and what He expects from us. We look for ways to please Him and His likes and dislikes.
Best of all we can talk to him anytime about anything. We humans make a lot of promises which are sometimes broken. God keeps His promises and says He will never leave us or forsake us. He teaches us about faithfulness and waiting patiently. We learn to store up our treasures in heaven where someday we will be united and finally meet Him face to face.
If you’ve met Jesus, tell someone about your love story….and share His love letters with them too. They’re probably right there….in your dresser drawer.
Love Letters
