You've Got Mail

Your computer beeps or your cell phone vibrates or your answering machine flashes...you realize somebody has left you a message. With the advantage of caller ID you actually can sort through your messages and decide for yourself which ones will be given full attention, right?

How about this memory.... Have you ever lived in a place where you had one of those mail boxes that has a small window in it? College dorms often have a mail center like that....I recall taking a peek into the mail box to see whether or not there was an item waiting for me. Most of the time I could tell whether it was a flyer, a periodical or an envelope. (If it looked like my mail was from a generalized mailing, an advertisement or a bill of some sort, it was easy to postpone collecting the stuff.)

However, if I saw an envelope that was likely to be an invitation, a card or a personal letter, I always took the time to open the mail compartment. Sometimes the writing on the envelope revealed the identity of the sender. Occasionally I could get a hint of the message from the back of the envelope...acronyms (S.W.A.K.) sketches, sealing wax ... all were clues. The more personal or expressive the message, the more likely that the card or letter would be read several times and eventually tucked away in my memory box (remember when we used shoeboxes for those mementoes?)

I lament the gradual decline of letters written by hand and delivered by the postal service. Although it is wonderful to be in timely connection with others through electronic communication, it seems that the emotional depth and the creative expression of the written word has been muted as we go paperless. Granted, I am speaking from the standpoint of somebody who first experienced the joy of receiving personal mail in the 1950's.... but most folks I know of all ages feel uplifted and valued when care, concern and love are communicated in ways that can be read again and again....and saved as reminders of people, situations and relationships.

Have you ever thought of prayer as a time when you are opening up mail from the Creator of the Universe? It is so much more than generalized information...it is specific and intimate in its application to you. Prayer is the means by which you receive all that God is sending you to form you according to what God knows to be your precious and powerful potential as a Child of God. When you prayerfully read the scriptures, you are savoring the love letter written through divine inspiration that tells about God's action in the lives of the people of God.

On "Sacred Space" today, we are reminded that "prayer is God's invitation to us to be present, before it is anything of our activity." (from www.sacredspace.com for April 28) The reason we pray at all is because God has instilled within our hearts an invitation to conversation ...an invitation to incline the ears of our hearts toward God's voice which is whispering in the midst of all of our moments.

Some of us go days without opening our mail--and usually we aren't significantly hindered by ignoring what's in the "in-box" for a day or two. However, there are messages extended to you by God that meet every daily concern and which provide all you need to act with fullness and compassionate strength in all times and places.

Accept the blessing of prayer daily...remember..."You've got mail" from the one who knows you intimately, loves you unconditionally, and can guide you with wisdom and power through any and all challenges or concerns.