 |
| Need help writing your letter? |
Written Words Give Power
As a young
mother, I heard author and speaker Ann Ortlund say that when you want to
compliment someone, you should write it. Why? We may easily forget spoken words, no matter
how inspiring. But written words give power and credibility to a thought,
especially an encouraging thought. Later
on, when the person you complimented needs a soul-lift, they have your words of
affirmation to help them overcome self-doubt and discouragement.
I discovered that
Thanksgiving was the perfect day to start this “cheerleading on paper.” Before
we ate dinner, we put each person’s name on a slip of paper and dropped
them—the papers, not the people—in a basket. After the meal, everyone drew a
name from the basket—no peeking!
A Sense of Kinship
Then we sat with
pen or pencil and paper—fancy stationery or plain copy paper—and wrote that
person a note telling them why we were thankful for them. When the children
were too small to write, they whispered their dictations to us. After we completed our notes, we went around
the table and read them aloud. Some brought laughter, others tears, all a sense
of kinship and gratitude.
How amazing to
see God’s hand at work during these “Thankful Letter” moments. A sister forced
to write why she was thankful for her pesky little brother sees him in a new
light for a moment; a dad suddenly realizes he needs to express his esteem for
his son more often; a spouse receives praise for a quality they thought had
gone unnoticed.
God is Thrilled
Hearts stir to
new feelings of affection and loyalty. God is thrilled. We are ministering to
each other the way He intended when He created the family, bringing out the
gifts in one another’s lives.
Thanksgiving becomes a time of refreshing our commitment to the ones we
love most. And we are further cementing
that love by writing it.
I used this “ink
and paper applause” method throughout my children’s lives to tell them how
proud I was of a character quality they exhibited; to applaud an achievement of
theirs; and to share a bit of wisdom from God’s Word for their futures. I’ve
also used it with my husband and close friends, to show my esteem for them in a
tangible, permanent way.
The Creator has
placed people in our lives to make us better than we could be without them. He
has put us in others’ lives to bring them closer to His good plan for them. Sharing
our thankfulness to those people through writing is a way to celebrate His
goodness, and to enlarge their hearts toward Him.
Has God used
someone to make a positive difference in your life? Don’t just tell it to them;
spell it to them. Write your thanks.
Speaking of thanks, I'd like to say a huge "thank you" to all of you who helped me shout about my book giveaway extravaganza yesterday! It was a huge success, and I'm so grateful for your help. Mostly I'm grateful to have YOU in my life. Thanks for just being you...
Then we sit with pen or pencil and paper—fancy stationery or
plain copy paper—and write that person a note telling them why we are thankful
for them. When the children were too small to write, they whispered their
dictations to us. 
Hearts stir to new feelings of love and affirmation. God is
proud. We are ministering to each other 
