Notes have a lot of power. They tell others how you feel, what you want, what you're sorry for, what you're thankful for, what you're sorry for, how happy you are, what you're
People often write notes on computers, print them out, or send them over the Internet. But I think the best notes are the ones you write by hand. A note written by hand is personal and hard to find. Because of this, the reader will pay more attention to it and it will have the most impact.
I was in Michigan a few weeks ago for my dad's funeral. On Sunday, I went to my mom's church and met her pastor for the second time while I was there. I learned from talking to him that his mother died a few months ago and that his father was very sick. I had to stop at Chicago O'Hare Airport on my way back to Virginia. While I was waiting for my next flight, I took out a box of note cards, wrote a few notes on them, and mailed them. One of them was a note of encouragement to the pastor of my mom's church. I learned later that the note moved him so much that he took it to church and read it at a meeting. He let everyone know how much it meant to him that they were there. When I wrote the note, I didn't know that his dad would die the next week and that his wife would also be diagnosed with cancer. I think God used what I wrote to help him through a very hard time in his life. I also wonder how many of the people he talked to because of that note changed. Some of them might now be writing notes, too. What would have happened if I hadn't written that note?
I think you should start taking notes every day. What an easy way to change people's lives for the better. If you're worried about where to start, I've found the following two books to be the most helpful:
- Margaret Shepherd wrote "The Art of the Handwritten Note: A Guide to Reclaiming Civilized Communication."
- "Business Notes: How to Write Personal Notes That Build Professional Relationships" by Florence Isaacs
Get an envelope, a pen, and a stamp. Write to someone you've been thinking about today. God is the only one who knows how much that person and the world will improve because you took a few minutes out of your busy day to write a few sentences.
