Mystery Email

On March 31, 2001, I received an email from a friend. It was a forwarded prayer. I passed it on to everyone in my address book and then deleted it. Over the course of the next few months, in no particular time pattern, this email would reappear in my mailbox as new. But it wasn't new. It was the very same email which had no subject line and no to/from: reference. And it was still dated 3/31/01.

I started experimenting and deleted it completely at least five times. It always came back as unopened mail. Sometimes it took as long as two months to show up, sometimes only days. After a few months of this, I finally decided it was a message that needed to be heeded and so I sent it out again prefacing it with the afore mentioned explanation of how it continues to show up in my mail box. On that mailing I received a couple of responses saying that it was just what the person needed to read at that moment.

Okay, so here's another twist. Today, February 18, 2002, I received it again. Not another one, but the very same email, still dated 3/31/01. But this time it came to my new email address. Here's the kicker - listed among the emails it was forwarded to was my old address (which is now defunct and cannot receive anything) but not to my new address.

Since I don't believe in coincidence, I have to assume I am supposed to send it out again, so I this time I decided to put it up in my website for all to see.

Hope it blesses you and it is just what you needed to read in this moment. If you stumbled on to this, pay attention.

Dear Lord,

I thank You for this day. I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for I have sinned. I ask now for Your forgiveness. Keep me safe from all danger and harm. Let me start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day and give my best in all that is put before me.

Clear my mind that I can hear from You. Broaden my mind that I can accept all things that are of You. Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. Let me continue to see sin through Your eyes and acknowledge it as evil. And when I sin, let me repent, and confess with my mouth my wrongdoing, and receive the forgiveness of God. And when this world closes in on me, let me remember Jesus' example to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits.

I know that when I can't pray out loud, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Thy Will. Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak and unsaved. Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others.

I pray for those that are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those that are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who refuse to share a word from You. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those that will only read this and not speak this aloud in their own lives. I pray for those that will delete this without sharing it with others.

I pray for those that don't believe ... But I thank you that I believe. I believe that You change people, and I pray for all my sisters and brothers. For each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are met. I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than You, Lord.

Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight. I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees them and every mouth that confesses them willingly. This is my prayer.

In Christ's Name, Amen.