I was reading through some of my earlier communications via email. These were updates sent many years ago when I first started as a missionary. It was quite nice walking down memory lane and I enjoyed seeing my passion for all the things God was doing in my life and to remember those things again.
One email I sent was about loneliness and how it can be very lonely out here, even though I am constantly surrounded by fellow missionaries and those that we minister to. As I was reading through it, I realized how some things had changed but others have stayed the same. The feeling of loneliness still lingers and pops his head up every now and then. But as I was reading I was also amazed at the God-given idea to not "waller" (for you southerners) in my pity but to realize that others are struggling with that as well and what better way to deal with my own discouragement than to encourage others. Here is a snipit of that email:
"Something I have now missed for the past 2 years is the annual Mentone Junior High Fall retreat with Metro Church in Birmingham. This has been going on now for the past 17 years and up until last year, I had only missed one. This has always been such a HUGE spiritual renewing time for me. One of the things that has blessed me
One email I sent was about loneliness and how it can be very lonely out here, even though I am constantly surrounded by fellow missionaries and those that we minister to. As I was reading through it, I realized how some things had changed but others have stayed the same. The feeling of loneliness still lingers and pops his head up every now and then. But as I was reading I was also amazed at the God-given idea to not "waller" (for you southerners) in my pity but to realize that others are struggling with that as well and what better way to deal with my own discouragement than to encourage others. Here is a snipit of that email:
"Something I have now missed for the past 2 years is the annual Mentone Junior High Fall retreat with Metro Church in Birmingham. This has been going on now for the past 17 years and up until last year, I had only missed one. This has always been such a HUGE spiritual renewing time for me. One of the things that has blessed me
so much in years past and has attributed to some of that spiritual healing and renewing has always been the letters. Each year we ask parents, family members and friends to write their child a letter expressing just what they mean to them. This letter can be filled with memories that are shared or words of encouragement or hopes for the future or just a note to say “I am proud of you and I love you!”. This is something that High Schoolers come back and slave over the dirty mop and hot stove for each year. This is what I (an almost 30 year old adult) has been looking forward to every year for the past 17 years. This is what (as Alan and Mary Rogers, the leaders of Metro’s Junior High Ministry, say) the students have packed away in that special place from all the years past and will be the first thing they grab if the house were to go up in smoke. This, amazingly, is not an exaggeration. I say all of this to prove to you how much these letters of encouragement and wisdom mean to all who receive them.
So what I am proposing is this. If you feel led to do so, please write someone that you care deeply about a letter such as these. I know if I am struggling with these feelings of loneliness and sadness that I am not the only one. I would like to start a chain-reaction of an outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit upon each other through letters. There are college students all over the world that go everyday to an empty mailbox still hoping that it will contain a letter. I know because I was that college student. There are missionaries all over the world that go everyday to an empty mailbox hoping that someone cares enough about them to say it in a letter. I know because I am that missionary. There are moms, dads, aunts, uncles, husbands, wives, grandparents, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and grandchildren that go everyday to a mailbox hoping that there is something besides bills and junk mail. I know because I am that aunt, sister, daughter and grandchild.
Join with me in helping to spread God’s love and joy and encouragement to each other. Pray and ask God who you should encourage with a note or letter today. We can tell someone encouraging words to their face but when it is written, there is no mistake on what was said. A written note or letter is something that doesn’t fade with time or loose its power through the false remembrance as the spoken word does.
Lord, I pray that you will pour out your Spirit upon us and speak to our hearts right now the person(s) that you would have us to write today. Father, I ask that if we need some of that encouragement and joy and a reminder of your love that you will place our names on the hearts of someone today. Thank you so much for all that you have done for us. I thank you for being our encouragement, our love, our joy, our husband, our friend, our father and our Savior. I pray blessings over each person that reads this. May their day be blessed and full of joy and happiness.
In Jesus Name,
AMEN!!!
God Bless you in your letter writing!!! Remember make it personal!!!"
So I am proposing that we do this again. I would LOVE to see people all over the country & world be encouraged today. If you are feeling down, write a quick note of encouragement to a co-worker. If you catch yourself complaining about life, write a letter of thankfulness to a mentor.
Let's spread this encouragement to the masses as I guarantee there are people reading this right now who have felt discouraged, overwhelmed and downright "over it". So, what better way to solve the situation than focus on others with positive, uplifting things. When we focus on the positive and we focus on others, ours negative thoughts tend to fall away.
What do you say??? Who is with me??
If you want to send me some of that encouragement, check out my contact info on the HOME page. Happy Writing!!!
So what I am proposing is this. If you feel led to do so, please write someone that you care deeply about a letter such as these. I know if I am struggling with these feelings of loneliness and sadness that I am not the only one. I would like to start a chain-reaction of an outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit upon each other through letters. There are college students all over the world that go everyday to an empty mailbox still hoping that it will contain a letter. I know because I was that college student. There are missionaries all over the world that go everyday to an empty mailbox hoping that someone cares enough about them to say it in a letter. I know because I am that missionary. There are moms, dads, aunts, uncles, husbands, wives, grandparents, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and grandchildren that go everyday to a mailbox hoping that there is something besides bills and junk mail. I know because I am that aunt, sister, daughter and grandchild.
Join with me in helping to spread God’s love and joy and encouragement to each other. Pray and ask God who you should encourage with a note or letter today. We can tell someone encouraging words to their face but when it is written, there is no mistake on what was said. A written note or letter is something that doesn’t fade with time or loose its power through the false remembrance as the spoken word does.
Lord, I pray that you will pour out your Spirit upon us and speak to our hearts right now the person(s) that you would have us to write today. Father, I ask that if we need some of that encouragement and joy and a reminder of your love that you will place our names on the hearts of someone today. Thank you so much for all that you have done for us. I thank you for being our encouragement, our love, our joy, our husband, our friend, our father and our Savior. I pray blessings over each person that reads this. May their day be blessed and full of joy and happiness.
In Jesus Name,
AMEN!!!
God Bless you in your letter writing!!! Remember make it personal!!!"
So I am proposing that we do this again. I would LOVE to see people all over the country & world be encouraged today. If you are feeling down, write a quick note of encouragement to a co-worker. If you catch yourself complaining about life, write a letter of thankfulness to a mentor.
Let's spread this encouragement to the masses as I guarantee there are people reading this right now who have felt discouraged, overwhelmed and downright "over it". So, what better way to solve the situation than focus on others with positive, uplifting things. When we focus on the positive and we focus on others, ours negative thoughts tend to fall away.
What do you say??? Who is with me??
If you want to send me some of that encouragement, check out my contact info on the HOME page. Happy Writing!!!
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