“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, when we pray for you…” (Colossians 1:3 NIV)
Gratitude rearranges our attitude.
The quarantine is running long. The originally prescribed two weeks has morphed into six weeks and perhaps tensions are running high in your own heart, in your home? I wonder if you’d consider sitting down and writing a letter or two?
Letters are influential. Much of our New Testament exists because someone with godly intent sat down to pray for a people group. Letters can be uplifting, for both the writer and the receiver. Letters leave a historical legacy and letters are a wonderful way to pray for one another. It seems Paul begins each letter with prayers and in his prayer for the Colossians, he thanks God for their faith and love.
The beloved Mister Rogers was known to lead an exercise where he’d set aside sixty seconds to recognize the people who had contributed to his story. It’s a powerful minute, if you’ll pause and participate. I’ve done it several times now, and I tear up without fail, recalling and thanking the people who have made me, me. By about the twenty second mark my heart and mind fill up with faces and memories and huge gratitude. Some of my influencers have passed on already, but many are still living, loving and investing in people.
What if, this week, we picked a person on our influence list and wrote a letter? What if we stuffed it in an envelope and slapped a stamp on it like in the good old days? Imagine the joy of receiving such a letter in the midst of such a dark season! Think of the gratitude that will surely well up in you as you reflect on your own story and compose such a letter!
Paul’s words remind us that people are a gift and we only have them here on earth for a season. Let’s today receive that gift with gratitude and deep reverence for the Gift Giver.
Lord, today we recognize the gifts in our own story. They are people, more than anything. Thank You for influencers You have weaved into our pages. We are grateful and encouraged. Help us reach out to them this week, via letter or phone call or text message, and recognize their contributions to our spiritual welfare. Please bless them today. Amen.