You never know

I write a lot of notes.  Well, maybe not a LOT, but I am definitely a note writer.  I like to write notes.  I like the personal feel of a pen between my fingers.  I like knowing that the card or paper that has touched my hands will soon be in the hands of the intended recipient.  And, I like the intimacy that a written note brings - it just seems warmer to me than a typed email.

So, I try to send thank-you notes when I receive a gift.  I try to send notes to people in the congregation when they are going through a difficult time, or when they have agreed to serve in a new capacity, or when I simply think about them and want them to know it.  I send notes to visitors, too.

Today, I was at the post office, and I ran into someone who attends another church but who visited our church about two years ago.  I wrote her a note.  She thanked me for her note, and said she keeps it in her Bible and moves it as she reads.  Wow!  Who knew that a note from two years ago would still be in circulation...and still appreciated?

I should know that.  I keep notes that I receive.  Some are tucked in my Bible.  Some are tucked in a drawer.  Some are tucked in notebooks and journals.  But, I turn to them often when I need encouragement, or when I need to remember that no matter how frustrated I may be, the work is important.  It makes a difference.  Sometimes, rereading a note feels like a little whiff of Holy Spirit and it fuels me for what is to come.  You just never know.