Please read this for yourself or use it to start a conversation or letter for someone…
Luke 15:5-6“When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home he calls his friends and neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” Luke 15:5-6
November 2007
Dear ____________________
First of all I just want to tell you how much I love you and care for you. You have made such an impact in my life. I can think of so many special memories we share. If God had not brought you into my life, things would be very different. I am so thankful to God for you.
And that is why I am writing to you. You see, I have thought about this message to you so many times. I have prayed it and prayed about it many times. In fact, I want to apologize for not saying or writing this to you sooner. It’s that important and yet and I just could never find the right words or right time. Or maybe I was just afraid.
But not anymore. I feel like God has moved in me and my life and the time has come for me to share this message with you. Like I said before, you have meant so much to me. And that is why the thought of not sharing eternity with you in God’s presence is motivating me to share how much having Jesus as my savior has meant to me and how I want you to share in this too. The thought of being in Heaven without you breaks my heart. I want you to be there.
As well, I have watched you for a long time. And I have lifted up many prayers for you. And I have watched you wrestle with many demons, questions and emptiness. Believe me, I have my demons and questions too! But despite being a sinner, I have a peace and a power and hope that is beyond anything that can be achieved, bought or found in this world. Thanks to Jesus, I have something that nothing in this world can take away, no disease, no loss, no defeat – nothing in this world is greater than His love for me.
And I want you to have this too. This way of life that is by no means easy! But I reached a point where I realized that I couldn’t (and didn’t want to) do this life on my own – whether it was salvation or figuring things out or withstanding all the things that we face in life. And so I turned to Jesus and I asked him to come into my heart, forgive my sins, save me, remove my guilt, heal me, give me a purpose and be my rock and compass – none of which I could do for myself. And since then things have never been the same. When I think of my life without Christ in my heart, I seriously wonder how I made it; and I see how hard it was at times and how empty and alone I felt. Do I still fall short? Absolutely. And yet he continues to shape and mold me. Not fun at times, but I know His love for me is unconditional and never-ending and unlike anything I have ever known. I would love to tell you more about how I gave my heart and life to Christ. I would also love to pray this with you in person or over the phone.
I know you may be thinking that God doesn’t remember you or it’s too late or you are no longer worthy or a whole bunch of other things. Or that maybe your heart is so broken now that there is no hope. Or that you are doing fine on your own and that you don’t need God. Or that maybe you have been going through the motions and rituals all your life but have never made a personal commitment to Jesus in your heart. But the great thing, the best thing is that through Jesus dying on the cross and rising on Easter, we get a second chance (a third, fourth and fifth and so on). No heart or life is so broken or cold or numb that it is beyond the reach of Jesus’ love. It really is that amazing! I have felt it in my life so abundantly that my heart overflows with thanksgiving to God.
I need to tell you today that I love you. I need to tell you that God loves you more than you know and always has and that He is waiting for you to turn or come back to Him. I need to tell you to ask or re-welcome Jesus into your heart today. I need to tell you that I want to see you in Heaven. If I can help you, you know I am there for you.
In Him, Christopher
Living Water 