Letter to God: Your Message in a Bottle
- Trace Pirtle
- Jul 3
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 5
Part of the Letter to God series
If you are reading this letter to God, it is because "He" (not me) intends for you to read it. While I pray that my words will somehow touch another soul, yours...or another...or another, and perhaps to write your letter to God, it can't be my "soul" reason for writing.
Why? Whether your writing goal is reaching one reader or one billion readers, the seeds of ego-infused pride are sown. It's too easy to lose our God-focus and seek out those seductive analytics — how many views did I receive?
How many "likes" and "comments" resulted from my effort to polish a crafty post that goes viral?
And, how does the fragile ego respond when the affections of the reader are not immediately returned? What if NO ONE reads it!? The horror! A complete psycho-emotional meltdown is brewing. Where is a good therapist when you need one?!
Obviously, I'm joking and using hyperbole to make my point. You don't need a therapist to help you soothe a bruised ego; you need to focus on writing a letter to God. Here is one approach that works for me.
Soul Searching
Do some soul searching. Do you feel the unmistakable call to write a letter to God, or to start a Christian blog? If not, eject now. If so, stick with me.
Why Write a Letter to God?
Consider why you are writing. If you are smitten by dreams of fame and fortune as a cyberspace influencer, eject now. You won't resonate with what I have to say. Besides, if God wants you to be an influencer, He will make you one. But if your reason is to send God a love letter--in myriad forms--as He has given to you, then what you write will make Him smile and touch a few souls (including mine) in the process.
Letter in a Bottle
Imagine this...God has blessed you with a one-year, all-expense-paid cruise around the world. You wonder, what's the catch? No catch, but an angel of the Lord comes to you and says, "Write a letter to God each day. Put the letter in a bottle, seal it, and with love, toss it into the vast ocean. You can write about anything you want God to know about."
That's it? Yep...that's it. God just wants to hear how you are doing. He wants to know about the times you got seasick...barfed all over the breakfast buffet during that typhoon. He wants to hear about the lesson you taught on John 3:16 and His most special gift. He wants to hear when you are on fire as one of His ambassadors and when you have doubts about His gifts. Thirty days in, you realize you hate all this water!
He wants to receive a letter from you to God every day of your adventure for the next 365 days. Your only responsibility is to write it and toss it overboard. Note: it's eco-friendly and will supernaturally be delivered to someone on a far shore.
No birds, animals, or sea life will be harmed by your letter to God in a bottle.
Honestly, I'm not sure if this approach will help you or not. I'm writing my own letter to God, in the midst of my own cruise adventure, and praying that He is pleased with my words. Does it make Him smile and say, "Well done My good and faithful servant," and does it find its way to just the right person?
The answer to that question, because vanity metrics do not drive it, is we'll see! Either way, I enjoy writing these letters to God — with love — and hope you receive them in the same spirit.
Your Own Letter to God Blog
If it is God's will that you feel called to write your own letter to God, and if you write one letter or post, you can write 365 or more, then why not consider starting your own Christian blog? I strongly encourage you to do so because it helps develop spiritual discipline and brings you closer to God.
Like reading your Bible, praying, and engaging in fellowship and ministry outreach, writing a daily letter to God and posting it fosters accountability. It also allows you to objectively consider what you have been contributing to God's Kingdom.
Again, what you write in your letter is less important than the heart you have for writing it. If one day your letter reads like "War and Peace," so be it. If it looks more like a seventeen-syllable Haiku on another day, no problem. It's also no problem that I don't really know what a Haiku is or how to write one, but you get the idea.
You are writing what you are experiencing each day as a letter of gratitude to the Creator of the Universe.
If you'd like to share your thoughts, questions, or comments, God knows how you can reach me. Where ever you are...where ever I am...God will be present.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9
Letter to God Series Posts:
--- *Trace Pirtle is a retired university professor, pilgrim blogger, and founder of Faith in Action Ministry, Texas Hill Country. He writes for Christians who refuse to settle for Sunday morning faith while prayer-walking the narrow path in Kerrville, Texas. Welcome home, pilgrim.
Comments