Leadership Thought: I Couldn’t Believe What I Received in the Mail.

Dear Friends,

“Would that all of us could go on hug hunts, but with social distancing in place, those hugs Mae longs for may have to wait. But if you do desire to hug someone, let me suggest an acceptable alternative. Just pick up some paper and a pen and send your hug through the mail.”

These were the concluding words to yesterday’s Leadership Thought on sending “hugs” through the mail. Little did I imagine that I would be the beneficiary of my own devotional.  

Waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs where my mail is often left, was a bright red envelope. I looked at the return address, and it read Cleveland, Tennessee. I was curious to open it to find who would be sending me mail from Tennessee. Inside the envelope was a Christmas card. I quickly opened it to read the following: “Christmas blessings from Southeastern Tennessee. Tom, thanks so much for making the Gospel come alive to me so many years ago.” It was signed Jim and Suzie Laird.

Old friends who I haven’t seen for over 30 years. My heart was touched, as I read those words from such dear friends. I thought back to Jean and my days in Greenville, Pa. where I pastored for seven years, and the wonderful memories I still recall from our time there.

“God truly does  give us memories, so that we might smell the roses in December.”

Later on that night I made I made a phone call to another Greenville friend in the same church. It wasn’t a hug in the mail as the Laird’s gift came, but it was a hug from the heart that hopefully brought love to a hurting friend. I had called Carolyn when I learned that she not only lost her husband to Covid on Christmas Eve, but also a son just two weeks before to the same virulent disease.

Yesterday was a day of joy and sadness all rolled up as one. I went to bed thankful that I had been wonderfully blessed that day. On one hand I was blessed by reading such kind and encouraging words from good friends from the  past. On the other hand, I was blessed to offer some hopeful and encouraging words to a friend in the present.

There is a time to give and a time to receive, and one is blessed when he can experience both blessings in one day. As Henri Nouwen writes, “We need equal time for both if we want to live healthy lives."

So, start writing, or maybe just pick up the phone and start calling; that is, if you want to stay healthy.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom