Day 11: Writing Outwardly

Today’s action step might require expanding the boundaries of your comfort zone. For the first ten days of this challenge, you have primarily been praying for people or looking at Scripture. Today, I will ask you to write a note to someone.

I anticipate that you may have some questions at this point. To whom do I write? What do I say? What if I hardly know the person? Isn’t writing to someone out of the blue a bit weird?

I get it. It can indeed be uncomfortable. Let’s answer some important questions before you get started.

DOES THIS COMMUNICATION HAVE TO BE HANDWRITTEN?

When was the last time you wrote a letter by hand? I bet it’s been three or four years for me. My son Sam is a master letter writer. He writes a few letters each week by hand, addresses the envelopes by hand, and puts a stamp on them to mail. I wish I had his discipline.

Does the letter have to be written by hand? Not necessarily. But if you are able and willing to do so, your letter will have a much greater impact. Think about the last time you received a real handwritten letter or note. Do you remember how special you felt that someone had taken the time to write to you? Do you remember how grateful you were to that person?

So, yes, handwritten letters are better, but they aren’t mandatory for this exercise.

If you have the person’s phone number, you can send him or her a text. A text message has a greater sense of personalization than an email, though not as much as a handwritten note. I have a few friends who text me encouraging messages on occasion. I am always grateful and motivated to do the same for them and others.

Of course, you can email the person, if that’s the best way to make contact. But emails carry risks. They can be overlooked with the barrage of emails people receive every day. They can go to a spam folder. They are often not read on a regular basis. Still, an email is better than no communication. The most important factor is that you write to someone.

TO WHOM DO I WRITE?

The ideal person to write to is your one from Day 10. If you have an established relationship and the person’s address, email, or phone number, you can write to him or her immediately. If your one is someone you hardly know, it might be premature to write to them.

One of my favorite “one” stories is about my garbage pickup service. I live just outside the city limits of Franklin, Tennessee, so we have to contract with a private service. When I moved to Franklin, several people recommended a family-owned business. I immediately discovered why they had recommended this company.

Quite frankly, I didn’t think I would ever be impressed by a garbage pickup service, but I was by these folks. They told me to leave the trash at the back of my house and they would pick it up there. They didn’t want me to have to leave a trash can in the front of the house. “It just doesn’t look good,” the co-owner told me. Moreover, they never leave even the smallest piece of trash behind. I watched one day after the wind had blown some debris around. Two men got out of the truck and picked up every piece.

The workers are friendly as well. They always greet me if I’m outside. They often wave to me as I pass them in the neighborhood.

One day, I decided to write the owners a handwritten letter of thanks. Yes, it was a first for me to write a garbage pickup service. I also included a small monetary gift of thanks. Their gratitude to me was unbelievable. One of the workers became my one, and we’ve had a number of gospel conversations.

You can write to a merchant like I did. It took me but a minute to find their address online. When you write to a merchant, it’s always better if it’s someone you will see on a regular basis. I currently have four ones, and they are all local merchants. I have written to three of the four.

You may decide to write to a family member or relative. Or you may have an opportunity to send a text to a friend or neighbor.

For this particular exercise, it is important to write to someone who is not a Christian—or, at the very least, is not active in a church. Though you can certainly write encouraging notes to anyone, the act of writing to someone who is not a follower of Christ is a major step in becoming a Great Commission Christian.

WHAT DO I SAY?

Do you remember the apostle Paul’s ministry partner called Barnabas? His name was actually Joseph, but the nickname by which he was known means “Son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36). What a compliment to give a person that label.

Barnabas encouraged the church in Jerusalem (Acts 4:36-37). He encouraged the new believers in Antioch (Acts 11:22). He was a constant encourager to Paul, such as the time he brought Paul along to work in Antioch (Acts 11:25-26). He was again an encourager to Paul by accompanying him on his first missionary journey (Acts 13:2-3). When Paul refused to take John Mark on a missionary journey because Mark had deserted him earlier, it was Barnabas who invited the young man along on another journey (Acts 15:37-41).

As Luke, the writer of the book of Acts, tells us, “Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord” (Acts 11:24).

Did you get that? Barnabas was an encourager. The work of the Holy Spirit was evident in his life. He was strong in the faith. And because of his Spirit-filled encouragement, many people became followers of Christ.

When you write your note, simply offer words of encouragement. My letter to the family that owns the garbage pickup service was simply one of encouragement. I wanted them to know that I noticed the little things they did that made their service exemplary.

Your letter doesn’t have to be long. In fact, brevity may be best. A few sentences of encouragement go a long way.

If you’re aware of specific areas in the person’s life where some encouragement may be helpful, include that in your letter. Part of the purpose in writing is to be a Barnabas to the recipient.

WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?

Write your letter with no expectation of a response. Your purpose in writing is not to get a letter in return lauding your efforts for writing the letter. I heard a church member complain because she had written a letter of encouragement but had never heard back from the person. Your motive in writing should be unconditional encouragement, not to receive something in return.

Let God handle the response. The recipient may not know how to respond appropriately. He or she may have mixed-up priorities. He or she might be going through personal pain and not have the emotional stamina to respond. That’s okay. You are writing a letter of grace and encouragement.

Above all, your letter is a letter of love. Take a moment and read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Love is others-focused instead of self-focused. It’s all about how we can help and serve the other person.

Are you ready to write your letter, send your text, or type your email? Remember, it doesn’t have to be long. I encourage you to write it as soon as possible so you won’t put it off.

Right before you put the letter in the mailbox or hit send for the text or email, say a prayer. Pray that God will use your words to make a big difference in the life of the recipient. Pray that God will be glorified in this letter, text, or email.

Now, it’s time to write your letter.