My favorite fan mail

I got a few bits of fan mail for writing devotions for "Christ in our Home." Mine were June 1-15. A couple were emails, and I even got a letter. The letter made me laugh to much, and made me so thankful. A women in Wisconsin wrote:

"...they had such an impression on me the way you wrote, I felt like I was talking to a long time good friend."

My other favorite is an email I got. I'll include the devotions she references for context.

Saturday, June 13

2 Corinthians 5:6-10, 14-17

"Keep Going "

For the love of Christ urges us on… v14

The way is lonely, your legs are aching, your breath comes raggedly and hurts in your lungs, the road is uphill, and your throat is parched. Every fiber of your being wants desperately to give up, throw in the towel, admit defeat, to just STOP already.  But you see something in the distance - a person waving by the wayside. As you get closer you hear that he’s calling out, but you can’t yet understand what he’s saying. When you approach, his words become clear: “You can do this! I believe in you! I love you!” Why should you listen to this lone voice among all the negative ones, both within your head and without? Because the man from which they come has traveled this journey before you, all the way to the end, and has returned in order to be part of yours. You can still hear these words echoing in your mind long after you have passed him. In fact, it sounds like he is right next to you, running along beside you, urging you on when you stagger and your steps lag. “I am with you! You can do this! I love you!” You are able to hold your head up and see the other runners around you, encouraged by the same voice, traveling the same path. And so you are able to keep going, knowing that Jesus is waiting for you at the end of your journey as well. 

She wrote:

Hello Pastor Lydia,
      My friend and I took a 5 - day road trip from California to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to run a Half Marathon together.  I took my Christ in Our Home devotional along with me to read each morning before we started out our long days of driving.  I wanted to let you know how God perfectly timed and orchestrated your devotional for the a.m. of our race, Saturday, June 13th.  Both my friend and I had been extremely anxious about our run, as it was in high altitude, 6000+ feet, and I had been suffering from a tentative knee injury.  So you can imagine how encouraging it was to read your "Keep Going" title for that day, with Paul's scriptures from 2nd Cor. 5!*:) happy  The second paragraph, "But in the distance you see a person waving by the side of the road.  As you get closer, you hear that he's calling out to you:  'You can do this!  I believe in you!' I love you!'...... was so perfect, as we were encouraged by volunteers handing out water, etc. every 3 miles or so, and it reminded me that Jesus was jogging each step along with us throughout the race.  
    Both of us finished the race and got our medals for completing it.  Your words, God's presence and our faith, as we ran along a beautiful trail experiencing God's creation and majesty, made it a day we will always remember.
     I just wanted to write and let you know how uplifting, the words and devotional you planned so many months ago, would be of so much encouragement to 2 Lutheran middle age women, taking the challenge of doing this 1/2 marathon together in "God's country" so many months later!  God is good! May God continue to bless you in your devotional writings and in your ministry!


I feel so blessed and so humbled to have had such a cool opportunity to reach so many people across the country!