Hey Pen Pals. It’s me. Your friendly neighborhood Pen Gal…😉

Isn’t it mind-boggling to think that in the not-so-distant past, people actually used real pens and real paper to write real letters to each other? (in cursive, no less! 😮 …Shocking, I know.) Sometimes these letters were exchanges between old friends living miles apart, while in other instances the correspondence involved complete strangers! With a sense of faithful anticipation, these pen pals would write a letter and patiently wait days or even weeks for a response to arrive…by modern standards, this sounds nothing short of a torturous process, right?

In this day and age, we have an unprecedented opportunity to communicate instantly with people from across the globe, all with the push of a button (some pushing more buttons than others, ahem…if you know what I mean 🙄). But despite the fact that ink and stationary have given way to iPads and autocorrect, I feel as if the spirit of pen pals lives on through, well…the modern day blog. Blogging is a lot like letter writing — except that you’re usually writing to more than one person at a time (that is, of course, if there is more than one person actually reading your blog…😂). But, you get the idea — it’s a place to share, connect, and learn about people on a more personal level.

Arguably, no group of letters has stood the test of time longer and with more vigor than those penned by the apostles of Jesus to the early church. ❤️ In fact, we’re blessed to still be reading some of these letters today! Books of the Bible like Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, and Ephesians are all letters originally written to a specific group of Christians for their encouragement and instruction almost 2000 years ago! Though to some the content of these letters may seem antiquated, to us who are being saved it is the power of God (I Corinthians 1:18). Yes, we believe these letters are inspired by God and still profitable for us to live by even today (II Timothy 3:16-17).

And while it may be slightly presumptuous to consider the apostle Paul my own personal pen pal (…or maybe “Pen Paul” would be a more appropriate term here? 🤔), nevertheless, I can’t help but feel a personal connection when I’m reading his letters to the early Christians. The words on those pages have served as guideposts for my own life and have in large part made me who I am today.

Reading and studying these letters has brought me to salvation in Christ by showing me that:

1. I have sinned. (Romans 3:23)

2. Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died to offer me forgiveness of those sins. (I John 1:7; Romans 5:8)

3. I can accept that gift of forgiveness through belief and baptism. (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16)

4. Because of numbers 1-3, I have the hope of living eternally in Heaven when this life is over. Praise God! (Romans 6:23; Hebrews 11:16)

This world is not my home — I’m just a Pilgrim, a weary traveler in search of a Heavenly city…with a couple of stories to tell to pass the time along the way. Maybe you’re a weary traveler too…maybe we could follow the footsteps of Jesus together? I haven’t got it all figured out…but I do have a map, a light, some stories, and a pen…(okay, okay…and sometimes a pun… 😉) and I don’t know about you, but I could use some company. So, what do you say…will you travel with me? 

I hope so. Until next time…

-PWAP