Traveling is fun. Seeing new sights, revisiting favorite destinations and exploring another "historic downtown" with friends are pure delights. After a recent trip we opened the mail which had accumulated for ten days, a paper pyramid that squirmed in several disorganized directions between the post office counter, two sets of glass doors, thirty feet of side walk and into the car.
Opening the bundle of recycled paper simulated a mini-Christmas morning experience. The stack of paper and ink included several offers for credit cards with pre-approved amounts of $1000's. My favorite bookstore sent an offer of special discounts in exchange for using their card. Several insurance companies want us to consider their Medicare Supplement plans and at least three cable companies want us to know their company’s fiber optic is much faster than the industry standard. Term life insurance, we learned, has never been cheaper for people our age. A legitimate appeal for donating blood was nestled in the bundle, but was dwarfed by the renewal notice (two years early) for AARP and two magazine subscriptions. A school neither Pat nor I attended invited us to their annual homecoming and an invoice for something we never ordered, nor want, was waiting for our attention. Politicians running for municipal, county, state or national office helped build the heap destined for the recycle bin. From the 50 or more items four or five were sent first class.
The one piece of mail that caught my eye was a handwritten note of appreciation for being a loyal customer with a national bakery where we occasionally purchase a bear claw, pumpkin muffin or loaf of seeded rye bread. My key ring tag had broken and I had asked for a new one. I love the store’s program of giving a free cup of coffee, salad or sandwich because of my loyalty. I don’t know Sarah, but her note was a favorite in my after-travel mail. It was the only piece which was hand written! Sarah’s personal touch matters with me.
The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthian church assuring the congregation, "You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." (2 Corinthians 3:2-3) Now, that is personal! That is communication Spirit to spirit! Paul’s letter, God’s Word, is profoundly personal and powerful.
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