Letters to God

I have great backyard neighbors. Most evenings we meet at the fence to chat for a moment, so that I can hear how their boys' day has done, so the dogs can bark and run the fenceline with each other. Sometimes we exchange news; sometimes we exchange samples from the grill or the oven; sometimes we exchange nothing but "good to see ya's!"; and, then, sometimes we exchange questions and thoughts about the reality of God in our lives.

I made such a trip to the fence this morning. When my presence was requested by Mitchell, he's the rising first-grader, I knew it would be a notable experience and not just because it was early. When I crossed the threshold of my back door, I could see the whole family was in tow. I knew at 7 a.m. they were only minutes from departure for a few days of family vacation. Before we were really close enough to count being "at the fence" Mitchell asked the favor he needed from me. He held out to me a folded piece of notebook paper, announcing that he'd written God a letter. "That's so thoughtful, " I said, but I was interupting. Mitchell laid it all out for me ... "Ms. Sandra, I need you to take this by the cemetery today so God can get it." The puzzlement I was attempting to work out in my brain must have shown on my face because Mitchell explained. "God picks up people at the cemetery, so He can get my letter there, too." I have to admit, that's a pretty logical conclusion for someone who trusts God so much. And, I have to admit, that I tried to talk Mitchell into another manner of delivery. I - along with his Dad - tried to explain where and what the altar was in the church. Trying to keep things simple, I reminded Mitchell of the "railing" that we sat by in Children's Time each Sunday. When he nodded that he was with me, I told Mitchell that's where people prayed and left letters from their heart to God all the time. Mitchell furrowed his brow and quickly said to me, "I haven't ever seen anybody pray there. I'm not sure God will be looking for it there. Can you just take my letter to the cemetery?"

On my way home from the office today, I'll be making a stop at the cemetery here in town. I don't think God will mind that I read His mail ... "God, pepol aron you love yuo very much Evin yuor son Jesus loves yuo very much" I believe Gandhi got it right (check out the quote for the day). And, Mitchell has both the heart and the words. It makes me sad that the witness we've borne for him in these eight odd weeks that his family has been visiting our church is that the altar of our church is not the place where we leave our heart-letters to God AND that God may have just quit looking for any from us. It gives me hope, though, that my friend and God's has borne a different witness!

Anyway, I gotta run. I'm on my way to the cemetery.