A Seed that Sprouted in the Snow

 It’s miraculous, really. The way that seeds travel and eventually sprout. Some seeds (like the unwanted dandelion) have wings like a glider. Some are carried by birds. Some “hitch” a ride on animal fur. Some are carried by water. Countless ways for one little seed to be carried to a new destination and germinate, and perhaps to eventually bear much fruit.

Ideas and movements spread that way too. And that is my hope and prayer for the vital message of “Leave Nothing Unsaid.” I have seen firsthand the tremendous, life-giving impact that a simple letter can make. It benefits both the letter writer and recipient immeasurably.  My dream is that countless people will realize that it’s not so hard…and will begin to write affirming letters to the people they love.

I wanted to share the story of a seed that recently traveled to snow laden New England and germinated amidst the piles of snow. It’s a beautiful story…one that I hope will be replicated across the country.

Early one Sunday morning in December, Bev Conant turned on the TV from her home in New Hampshire as she prepared for church. Bev is a therapist, and understands the importance of intentionally nurturing relationships. And she just “happened” to hear me being interviewed on Fox and Friends about the message of Leave Nothing Unsaid. Intrigued,  she ordered a copy of my step-by-step guide from Amazon. Once Bev saw the contents of the book,  an idea began to germinate.

What resulted just a few weeks later was an event designed by Bev and hosted at Nute Ridge Bible Church called  “Cold Hands, Warm Hearts.” The gathering began with a “comfort food” lunch consisting of various homemade soups. The ladies then watched a beautiful movie called The Letter Writer. It’s the story of an elderly man who randomly picked names out of the phone book and wrote letters of encouragement and affirmation which were deeply impactful. This touching movie is 86 minutes in length, and can be ordered from Amazon (can’t everything?) for $9.99.

After the movie ended and the ladies had time to dry their eyes, Bev challenged them to think about how God could use their words to bless people they already knew and loved. She asked the ladies who came to mind as a potential recipient for a letter and on what occasion they would write it. This time of sharing helped to spur the creativity of the entire group.

In addition to receiving a copy of Leave Nothing Unsaid, each attendee was given several pieces of fine linen stationary and an envelope. As the event concluded, each participant left having committed to write a letter to someone they loved.  And they had agreed to be accountable to one another about completing this important, life-giving task.

40 women in a small, snowy New Hampshire town embraced the importance of writing letters to loved ones on a winter afternoon. Words of encouragement and affirmation to be poured into others. Hopefully, these will be the first of many letters to be written.  And the seeds continue to spread…

Who comes to mind for you? Who could benefit from a letter of encouragement from you? Today is a perfect day to begin. And I’d love to help you.