Each day as I gather my clipboard, pen, Bible and devotional book to have a conversation with God, I do something fun. I pick a card from my basket of mailed greetings as the “card of the day.” These are the messages people sent when Nate was ill, continuing after he died. Some are store-bought, some hand-made and some are regular letters. But the point of doing it is to make that person or family the subject of prayer.
I’ve grown to love this process, and although it seems I choose a card at random, I believe that as my hand hovers over the basket of several hundred greetings, God actually does the picking. He is thinking of specific people who need prayer exactly on that day, and those are the names on the card “I” pull.
As I re-read the card or letter someone sent last fall or winter, the words are a brand new blessing to me. But here’s the cool part. The sender’s own words become a springboard of prayer right back to them. In other words, the messages and Scripture verses they took the trouble to send to us are sent back to them by way of God’s throne room, returning to the sender with a fresh burst of supernatural power in the way of answered prayer.
At the end of that day’s prayer time, the card goes into a second basket. Once the first basket is empty (maybe by the end of this year), I’ll start all over, drawing each of the greetings again.
This is what I call a good time in prayer, and of course anyone can do it. In addition to being a little surprise package each day, it’s a surefire way not to forget anyone. I can’t explain how much I’ve enjoyed pulling the “card of the day.” And as I’ve studied just one each morning, thinking about what the sender(s) first wrote many months ago, I’ve been newly appreciative of every correspondent and each “good word.”
Today God chose a beautiful lavender card that came all the way from England. Hans’ wife Katy’s grandparents, Anne and Ken Mills, sent me a sympathy card shortly after Nate died. The words on the card, some printed and some hand-written, touched on these subjects: God’s peace, God’s promises, life everlasting, being released from suffering, going to be with Jesus after death, caring sympathetic people, hope in the Lord and reassurance of love. It was my delight to pray each of these topics over Anne and Ken today, a “return to sender” type of prayer.
God never fails to do abundantly more than we ask in prayer, and I believe he answers every request. This is even better than a 401K that receives matching funds by an employer.
And with such spectacular work on God’s part, I don’t want to miss picking a single card!
“[I] give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.” (Colossians 1:3)
What a beautiful act of love and grace for those who love and care about you! This is a terrific idea for all of us to do. By placing the cards we receive–birthday, sympathy, Christmas, thank you or encouragement–in a basket, we can then choose one a day to pray for the sender. You are a great blessing to so many, including me….love, Rebecca
WONDERFUL idea! I shall start tomorrow with the sympathy cards I got last year when my mom died and the year before for my daughter’s passing. GREAT idea! Thanks!
Great idea! and just in time. We moved a few days ago from a sprawling large home to our small retirement house, and as I am forced to purge mercilessly, I would have shortly tossed these lovely Christmas cards with special messages.
What a great idea! You are such an insiration to all of us!
I have saved all the Christmas cards from years ago to present. Now I know what to do with them!! Thank you Jesus.
Thank you Marni, just about getting ready to purge some Christmas photos. Now we have a purpose in those photos.
I’m just repeating what others have said – “what a great idea”. You truly are an inspiration!! I was going through emails from my mom last week and found one where she was giving me the news of the day and Nate was mentioned in the email. I read it again now knowing so much more of her simple sentence telling me Nate had cancer. I’m heading out the door for a walk and talk with God – so I’ll be praying for the person who sent me the last note. Thanks for planting a seed that will helps so many of us reading your blog today.
I am taking your idea, and will start with all my cards, tomorrow. Healing Hugs, across these many miles, from me!
Wow, Margaret. What an encouragement to know that at some point I will be brought before the Lord because of your faith filled choices as you work through your grief.
Your words and example continue to shepherd many.
Love,
Terry
What a marvelous idea!! I am getting all of my sympathy cards down off of the shelf and start this practice today!! I had put them away because they made me sad but now I know I can look at all of them with different eyes. God bless you Margaret!
What a great idea! I have one basket of cards from when my husband was hospitalized with a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm give years ago. I have another basket of cards sent after his death three months ago. They sit there day after day and now they can have a purpose.
Jesus have come to give life to the whole world.