Simple Times

BY SUZY McCRAY

When one came in the mail, it was read and reread a “car factory” and her job was to sit on a stool and to everybody who came to my Granny and Grandpa mash a button to close or open a huge garage-type Inmon’s house! door on the plant. When she had the chance, while

Usually hastily written by my Aunt Estelle in “far bored at work during the nicer weather when the door off” Fayette County, Alabama, we were able to keep up could be left open most of the time, she wrote letters with the activities of Estelle (who grew and “put up” a on whatever she could get her hands on: paper towels, huge garden every year), her husband Jack as he trav- backs of other letters – any scrap! Those letters were eled around the state building roads, and each of my also read by all of us who traipsed through Granny and seven cousins who ranged from a few years older than Grandpa’s house! me to a few years younger. We loved if there was a photo of “the twins” (Judy

In return, Granny grabbed her stubby pencil, had and Joyce, five years older than me) or the others. Grandpa sharpen the point with his pocket knife, and When that mailman walked up on Granny and wrote what was going on with all us cousins and our Grandpa’s porch, whoever was there quivered in anticparents here in and around Oneonta on what they ipation! It was our link to family! called a “penny postcard,” although the price by then had grown to three whole cents! Likewise, Granny would receive really unusual letters from my Aunt Iris in Michigan! She worked at

In the early 1960s, my daddy had serious back surgery that could have left him paralyzed. As he recuperated at home, our rural mailman delivered a beautiful “picture postcard” from Germany, showing a quaint village surrounded by flowers. But the handwritten letter, written in tiny letters on the back, was what thrilled his soul: It was a note from our friend Trudy who had come to live in our valley when she married a young man from our church. This was one of only a few times she was able to return to her native Germany, but she took time to remember “Mr. Paul” and the postcard meant so much to him that he kept it for the remainder of his life!

Nowadays, it’s nice to get a message on social media that someone is praying for you. Emails are also usually accepted gladly. But there’s just something about a letter or card that you can hold in your hands that really makes a difference.

Two years ago, after Mack and I helped at Vacation Bible School, we tried to write notes to every child that had been in our class even though we weren’t the main teachers. Two different parents contacted us and told us how their child was so excited because that envelope was the very first mail they had ever received just for them in their own name!

According to a short article in Our Daily Bread, for the second quarter of 2021, years ago Dr. Jerry Motto did research on how “caring letters” impacted medical patients. That research noted that if a doctor or other medical provider simply sent a letter to the patient with “caring” texts to those who had attempted suicide, the rate of a second suicide attempt was reduced by half! Since that study, more and more health care providers have discovered how caring texts, postcards and, yes, even social media texts as follow-up treatment, can help in treating all types of mental AND physical problems!

Growing up, I enjoyed writing letters to “pen pals.” Enjoying writing cards and letters continued as I grew older.

When the internet was in its infancy, I met many “friends” across the country who were into back-tothe-land living and homesteading just as I was. I still keep in touch with a handful of those “friends” from nearly 30 years ago even though I have never ever met any of them “in person.”

I am especially close to one lady. When we were first “talking,” on the internet those many years ago, I sensed that she was going through a really rough time. Her husband had died, she had lost her farm, other problems abounded. I sent a simple card with a note inside of how I was praying for her. Many years later she explained how she had thought of suicide … but that simple card gave her hope of God’s love … what if I hadn’t followed God’s leading and sent that simple piece of mail??? She has since written a book that has testified of God’s grace to thousands! You say you don’t have the time? Nobody writes letters anymore? Nobody sends cards? We have been studying some letters at our church on Wednesday nights. Twenty-one of the books in the Bible are Epistles, letters, written to first century believers and to US. Peter, Paul, James and John wrote those letters to help with our faith, to guide us, to REMIND US that God cares and so did they! So buy a small stack of cards at your big box store, or, better yet, just some pretty paper and envelopes, and a book of stamps. If someone crosses your mind, jot them a tiny note and drop it in the U.S. Mail. It won’t take five minutes of your time and it might make a big difference in someone else’s life! If you only send one card or note each week, in a year’s time you will have brightened 52 lives!

Peter probably wrote his epistles, his letters, shortly before he was martyred during the time of Nero. Even though he knew he was likely facing death (and so was his wife according to history) he still wanted to encourage others, noting in the last verse: “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3: 18)