My business here varies. Sometimes it’s my personal Bible study or sermon preparation. Sometimes it’s planning for Vital Signs Ministries activities. Sometimes it’s writing articles for our blog or other social media platforms. And, every Thursday morning, it’s conversation with two of my closest friends.
But very often on these Paradise Cafe mornings, I try and catch up on personal correspondence. Claire and I do a lot of that because we believe that a handwritten card or letter has more power to encourage, challenge, and comfort than ever before. As W.H. Auden once wrote in his poem, “Night Mail,”
…They continue their dreams,
But shall wake soon and hope for letters,
And none will hear the postman's knock
Without a quickening of the heart,
For who can bear to feel himself forgotten?
But this morning I approached my correspondence list a little different. You see, I had brought along with me a stack of postcards…old postcards that we have accumulated over the years. It was a varied lot. There were cards from our travels in Poland, Germany, England, and gorgeous Hawaii. There were cards from Boston, Washington, D.C., Branson, and a huge pile from Colorado. The stack of postcards even includes some with well-known paintings, famous persons, and historic events. I mean, we've got a bunch. And so I have decided to use them.
So, if you get a postcard from us in the next few weeks or months, please don't consider it our way to write you a shorter note than, say, what might come on a sheet of stationery. Think of it instead as our sharing with you something we had treasured away, keeping it in a safe place until just the right moment to send it to you!
