SHARON ROCKWELL | CONTRIBUTOR

Paul wrote a letter to the Colossians from prison. It is a love letter, one that was meant to encourage the Christians in Colossae. Though Paul had never visited Colossae, while in prison he became aware of some false teaching that had taken hold. His letter is less a correction of their errors, but more of a reminder of the sufficiency of Christ, and that they were already in union with Christ in His death and resurrection. Paul greets the Colossians with thanksgiving for their faith, for the gospel bearing fruit among them, and emphasizes the mystery of Christ who unites both Jews and Gentiles. We can be thankful for the careful preservation of Scripture that we can read and reread for loving encouragement, hope, and comfort.

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth” (Col. 1:3-6).

Writing a love letter is no small gesture. The effort lifts up the reader, thanks them for their influence, and intimately expresses their special bond with each other. When my grandmother—my mother’s mother—turned 75, we gave her a surprise party. We invited family and friends, plus families from her old neighborhood. We asked everyone to bring a story to share, which would be recorded. Some could not attend in person, so instead sent their stories in letters which were put into a binder for Grandma to keep. Since I was expecting a baby at the time, I could not fly home, so I also sent a letter in which I told my grandmother just how much she meant to me. I had a praying grandmother who always took time to listen to my problems as I was growing up. She was a good listener, which was probably the reason she had friends of all ages. The stories told at her party mostly included grateful comments about how my grandmother had helped people in extraordinary ways.

It became my habit over the years to call my grandmother on Sunday afternoons. One Sunday I heard voices in the background when I called. I offered to call back thinking she had company. But she insisted I stay on the line while she turned down the volume on her tape recorder. She told me that every day she listened to the recording made of all her old friends sharing their stories at that birthday party. She also reread the letters. Those were her favorite. Some of her friends had passed on, and she cherished their letters. She was still reading them at age 90, 15 years after the party.

I lost my mother before my grandmother passed. Despite my being a writer in my professional life (albeit a technical one), I never wrote a letter of appreciation to my mother. I wish I had. I wish I had taken the time to recount all the special things she had done or said to me that influenced who I became as an adult. Instead, I sent cards and gifts. They were always signed with love and meant that way, but I realize now that they were a poor substitute for a letter which could have been reread and cherished for years to come.

If you have a mother, grandmother, or other godly person who has influenced your life, consider writing her a letter. Words have the power to encourage, uplift, and bless the one who hears (or reads!) them. Consider using God’s Word to encourage her. As Paul did in his letter to the church at Colossae, tell her why you are grateful for her. Perhaps share how you have prayed for her and what you are now praying for her.

Thank you, Lord, for love letters. Biblical love letters rekindle our faith and in rereading them, help us to finish strong. “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Rom. 15:4). Help us to be good students of your Word, reading it daily.

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