Relentless ACTS: Letters of Encouragement

Prior to my time at Houghton, I knew little of lent and had not spent much time thinking about it. During my freshman year, I spent a week in Buffalo working with refugee students in an after school program. While I was there, I stayed with a Houghton grad who had chosen to give up her mornings for lent. I was a bit confused at first, but quickly realized that she intended to rise early each morning to devote her time to prayer. In order to make this sacrifice, she chose to go to bed early on nights when we were having fun. She chose to acknowledge her alarm the first time it went off and dedicated her quiet mornings to the Lord.

In the past few years I have given up things like Facebook and dessert for lent. But as I was thinking and praying about this season this year, I stumbled upon the World Vision ACTS website as they were promoting the idea of sacrifice this season. As I continued to think and pray it became clear to me what I should do this year for lent. Rather than give up something like Facebook or dessert, I have decided to commit each day to write (and mail) a handwritten letter of encouragement to a different person. Over the next 6 weeks, I will write 40 letters of encouragement. As I write each letter, I will pray for God's blessing and strength over each recipient. I am also hoping to create a collage of photos of each recipient to serve as an additional reminder for continued prayer. My hope is that God would renew my heart and allow this experience to be an encouragement to others.

I'm looking forward to all that I will learn over the next six weeks. I am confident that God will use this experience in ways that I cannot predict. Now my job is simply to step out in faith trusting that He will accomplish His purposes through me as I walk in obedience.