Nielsen’s Nook

A few months ago, I wrote a note written on notebook paper to a family in a church that I had been preaching at for about a year. They responded with a twenty-first century, ‘Wow! I remember hearing in my youth about hand written notes.’ Nevertheless, the expressed how the note encouraged them.

I find myself in a time of searching, in a time where I am not sure which way the Lord will take my family and when. After giving a dismal lesson in a Sunday School class yesterday at PCPC, I was particularly discouraged. While rummaging through my top dresser drawer, I found a note, written on a very thin paper from some time between 1992-1996. It was from a friend of mine who liked to use the nickname, “The Asian”. In it, I was reminded of some particular qualities that have been encouraging to others along the way. I had the sense of great providence that The Asian had written an encouraging note and that over the last fifteen years, in which I have lived in probably 10-15 locations including two different flats in Russia, the note was preserved in the top of my dresser for just that moment.

I hope we won’t forget the lost art of letter writing. Blog posts will fade into the abyss of the virtual, emails are deleted or lost, but letters both in their language and their penmanship communicate a less mediated humanity that is as encouraging as the contents being read.

Thanks my friend, The Asian.