Letters From Home

by: Jenny Abbott Edwards

Our oldest son Noah has been away for the last two weeks at an all boys, Christian, sleep away camp about 5 hours from where we live. It took a lot of prayer and courage to walk in faith that this was an amazing opportunity for him to grow in Christ and in his independence. Noah is a very social, outgoing child. In the weeks leading up to camp, the thought occurred to me that Noah loves to receive mail! On social media, I posted a request to friends and family to please write to him prior to his arrival so that he would have mail to open at the first mail call!  Many of our super thoughtful friends responded and commented on the post that they would write.

One friend wrote about her family's own experience with camp mail. She told me that  many years ago when her brother went off to camp, her mom wrote him almost every day. When it was time to pick him up from camp, she found ALL of his mail, unopened in his trunk. My heart sunk wondering if Noah would find the time to open his mail. You see, mail, has been our only line of communication for two weeks. In the letters I have been writing to him I have been pouring out my love for him and assuring him of God's promises over his life. As it is my only way to communicate with him, I have been writing about things that are specific to his day and offering encouragement that I think will be useful to him.

What if Noah were like my friend's brother and he doesn't open a single letter? What if his day is too busy? What if he is too tired? What if he thinks he already knows what is in the letters and therefore does not need to take the time to read them? What if he doesn't know how much I love him?

 The thought of those unopened letters hung over me like a heavy cloud. Then, it hit me.   Those unopened letters that made my mama-heart hurt,  those letters filled with my love to my child, they remind me a whole lot of the Bible on my night stand.

You see, often times, I find myself too busy, too tired, too...fill in the blank to open God's word. To open his letters to my heart. I carry it around thinking I'll get to it but what if when he comes back to "pick me up", all I can say is , God I was too busy! My days at camp are really full, God! Do you know how tired I am at the end of the day?  I wanted to read them God, but I was just too tired.

Imagine what I would miss from my Heavenly Father if I didn't open the Word he has given to me. I can only guess it must feel in some small way something similar to the way I felt when I wondered if Noah would take the time to open the mail from me.

Thankfully, Noah loves mail. He opens the mail. And, he even took the time to write back. Only once. But I'll take it. He told me is having fun, he made the skill board and he wants to go back next year. My heart is happy.  I know my Heavenly Father must also appreciate when I take the time to respond to him and to his Word.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.  - 1 Chronicles 16:34

Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice, like the great deep. - Psalm 36:5-6