Notes from the Porch {eleven}: the letters

(The Pictures in this Post are pictures from a year or two years ago!)

Have you ever been the recipient of a gift so precious that it was hard to describe or talk about without getting choked up? I have and the gift that I am going to talk about today has taken me more than two weeks to want to share because it was simply so wonderful. 

I want to share a little background that I know I have said before but needs to be stated again. I miss teaching so much that sometimes my heart aches. I miss all of my former students and each one is in my daily prayers. I love y'all!

In my last "Notes from the Porch" post I explained that things with my health are at a very tenuous stable position. Two weeks ago I was having a particularly rough day all around: my health, a doctor who told me "this is never going to get better" (yes, we did fire that doctor!), lots of tears, an argument with my insurance company, a reaction to a new medication, extremely sick and in pain that day, and some personal news to our family that was difficult. All of these things combined had left me laying on the couch mostly in tears. I was reading in Proverbs and read the verse: 

"Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land." - Proverbs 25: twenty-five

At that moment my dad brought in the mail and handed me an envelop from one of my former schools that I taught at. I curiously opened the letter up and found inside a BEAUTIFUL stack of letters from some of my former 10th grade students (who are now Seniors!!). (I have tears even now as I write this!) Honestly, as I read the letters the first time through I couldn't even read each letter because the words blurred on the page. The time that these ladies took to write these letters to write to me... a teacher from two years ago while they are in one of the most exciting times in their lives touched my heart beyond words. Each letter touched my heart and encouraged my life. And brought refreshment to this weary lady. 

While it has only been two weeks since I received these letters they are now growing more and more crinkled each day as I have read them again and again and again and again. Filled with love and encouragement the Lord has used them to truly encourage my heart. 

Ladies, you have truly touched my heart. I love y'all so much and my prayers continue with each of you each day. I pray that the Lord allows me the strength and health to visit you in the new year to thank you in person and to give you a BIG hug for your incredible kindness, your faithful prayers, and your life-changing gift of these precious letters. 

Thank you again! I love y'all so much!