A Love Letter

     If you were asked to sit down and write a letter to your children that would encompass every piece of knowledge and encouragement that you would like them to have throughout their lives, what would it say?

     If you wanted to explain to them everything about life and the world, as best as you could, from your perspective, attempting to offer them hope and encouragement for the disappointments you know they will encounter, but also hope for a future you desire them to have...

     You might give them advice on relationships ranging from friendships to marriage. You might remind them to value silence and the pockets of solitude which are sometimes hard to come by, but are so important to the health of our souls-- to appreciate stillness and prayer in the midst of a frenzied world.

     You might offer them wisdom from your years of experience, you might list the values and the virtues and the moral standards that are not only good, and true and right, but will ensure that they will live their lives in the right space, the right place, the right way.

     It would be a letter of hope, it would offer encouragement, it would remind them how much you care for them. It would be a letter of love. A love letter.

     Can you imagine if your parents had done that for you? How you would treasure those words, reference them, pull them out, especially when you needed guidance and help on a hard day.

     Here's the beauty...if you haven't guessed it already...

     We have a heavenly father, our creator, who has done this for us. He created earth and everything in it. He sent his son to earth to breathe dusty air, to engage with people, to heal people, to teach people and ultimately show us how much he loves us by dying for those very people.

     Along the way, our heavenly father breathed inspired words into the hands, the hearts, the pens, and ultimately onto the paper of those very people he created. He gave them the words to compose his love letter...the Bible.

     I read my father's letter as often as I can. I strive to read it daily, in some form, and I find peace, hope, encouragement and incredibly poignant wisdom and guidance for my life in it. His word is a treasure...even though, admittedly, I take it for granted sometimes.

     I take the fact that I have half a dozen Bibles lying around my house for granted. The freedom to be able to read them without fear, for granted. The fact that I have God's word, written in my native toungue for granted.

     Until...several months ago a representative from the organization One Verse talked at our church for a few minutes about what they are doing to translate the Bible worldwide. They talked about things like "Bible Poverty" and threw around numbers like 340 million people.

     At the time I still had a hard time wrapping my mind around the project...around what they are trying to do (translate the Bible into all languages that do not have a translation)...and I had a hard time wrapping my mind around, really feeling, at a gut level, what it would be like to not have a Bible.

     And then I heard about One Verse again...this time through a blog group that I happen to follow...and I decided to check them out again...I took a look at their website and said a prayer...Lord, help me to understand the importance of this work you are doing-- I don't like how removed I feel-- how I have begun to take your word for granted. Give me a deeper compassion for these people who do not have your word--Give me empathy for these people who are hungry for Your words in their own languages...

www.oneverse.org

     I prayed and then I went on my way...I thought about it over the next couple of days...I even made Scott (my husband) go to a local soup kitchen and serve lunch with me because I felt like I was disconnected from the lives of people in need...that I needed to see faces that were tired, hungry, needy.

     And then God put it into words I could understand. Not through my experience at the soup kitchen (though God taught me other things there), He just simply answered my prayer...in words...

    ....mommy words...

     ...a language I completely understand...

      What if you were to write a letter to your daughters telling them everything your heart holds for them? Your love, your hope, your desires for their lives, and the wisdom you want to share with them in hopes to help them along the way? 

     What if circumstances got in the way to make the letter unreadable to your girls...they knew it existed, but could not read it? 

      Oh my...

     That tugged on my heartstrings...

     There are people who are waiting with a feverish expectancy to read God's love letter to them in their own tongue...God's hand is in the works to help this happen...One Verse, along with several partner organizations is doing the work...

Find Out More

       One Verse, The Seed Company...they are doing incredible work in our tired, tattered and weary world...they are bringing the love letter of a heavenly father to the souls, the faces, the hearts of people who have not yet been able to read their Father's letter.

      Check out their website, read about what they are doing, watch their video explaining Bible poverty....let your heart be stirred...perhaps to buy a verse of translation or at least pray for the work they are doing. Then, remember to offer a moment of praise, a prayer of thanks lifted up, for the blessing of such a letter, such words, such light, in your own life.

     For words such as....

Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go. I will counsel you with my LOVING eye on you." 

     Such as...

Isaiah 41:10 "Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be discouraged for I AM your God. I will strengthen you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand." 

     Words like...

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to proser you and not harm you. Plans to give you a HOPE and a future." 

    Or like...

John 8:12  "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." 

     Such promises. Such gifts. Such love.

     I would literally be lost without these words...they center me when I am overwhelmed, encourage me when I'm tired, guide me when I'm searching for answers.

      God's letter to you, to us, to this world. It is a gift. Don't take it for granted. And, if you feel so led, join in helping this wonderful organization get His letter into the hands of His children who have yet to read it.