Love Letters By Cortney Donelson

Micah 7:18 (ESV)

[God's Steadfast Love and Compassion] “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.”

I stood just behind and to the right of him so I could both read the piece of paper he held and watch his face – although I already knew what the letter said. My son was reading a short note my husband and I had written to him as part of a second grade “graduation assignment.” His (amazing) teacher had asked the parents of her class to write letters about how proud we are of our children who had entered her class as newly minted first grade graduates but were now leaving as fully capable third graders.

Source: www.freeloveletter.net

As I watched my son’s face, my heart was filled with emotion as I recalled the time I stood in a starkly vacant dormitory room as a new freshman in college reading a similar letter from my dad…

I waved to my parents from the 6^th floor tower room window as they drove away. I turned around to see my newly made-up bed alongside the two other bare loft beds, the three empty wooden desks, and my entire life packed into a couple pieces of luggage and some boxes. I was the first one to move in on the whole floor since I was there a few days early for tennis tryouts. As I started to unpack, I found the letter from my dad.

Without revealing the intimate details that would disarm the beauty and meaning of the letter, I will share this: My dad explained how proud he was of me, how much he loved me, and what a beautiful and intelligent woman I had become in his eyes. He officially released his role as decision-maker, consequence-giver, and hand-holder to me as a newly anointed grown adult in full confidence that I would consider who I was, what my goals were, and where I had come from as I moved forward in this journey called life. He shared his unfailing love for me. I had made some mistakes growing up, but they didn't change how he felt about me. I cried bucketfuls that day.

Many years later as I started my own family, memories of the contents of my dad’s letter returned. I vowed that with each significant milestone in my children’s lives, I would also share similar sentiments with them in letters they could keep forever … upon completing elementary school, as they enter high school, and, of course, as they go off to college – even if and when they get married.

So, as I watched my son read his first of many letters, tears of love crowded my eyes. When he finished, he couldn’t look at me. He kept staring at the letter and in a very soft voice said, “I like it.” He carefully folded it up and put it in his pocket. Then, in true 8-year-old fashion, he ran off to jump in the mud with some friends.

Love letters.

We all treasure them. Our Heavenly Father has written some amazing love letters to us as well. In fact, there are 66 of them, and they are presented to us as the books that make up the Bible. Have you opened all of them to soak in His good words yet?

Source: Unknown

There are letters that encourage us, inspire us, coach us, convict us, motivate us, and teach us. God shares with us, His beloved children, all that makes Him who He is as a loving creator and all the ways He treasures us. No matter what we have done, His love never ends. It will be forever described in those 66 books. No act, no thought, no transgression, no mistake, and no wayward choice can keep us from His love. “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.”

Just as my dad wrote me that love letter, and years later, I wrote my son a love letter, God has written us love letters. They remind us who we are (treasured children of God), what our goals are (to love others and spread His messages to all the nations), and where we came from (created from dust and made in His image, blind but now able to see). We should value them as we do our earthly ones: Keep them safe, consider them sacred, and read them often. Let’s reflect on the love they communicate and be obedient to the advice they provide. After all, they were written by our Father.

Then later – when we reach our eternal home – instead of coaching, teaching, and loving us through another letter, God can instead look us in the eyes and say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. I am so proud of you.”

Prayer – Father, thank You for Your never-ending love and grace. Thank You for the words of encouragement and wisdom You provided for us in the Bible. Help me treasure each promise and each message as they were meant to be treasured. You are the ultimate love letter writer, and I am thankful to be called Your child. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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