Pen Pals

For this special friend, the description of my pen pal just doesn't do the friendship justice, yet writing letters is how it all began.

I've been wanting to write a post about this friend for a long time, but now, along with my thoughts, comes a great opportunity to bless her, so I think this would be a good time to share about my friendship with Katie.
Here is a little bit of history to how the friendship began. My dear friend Hawley, who passed away last May, sent me a link to Katie's blog in August of 2009. Hawley sent me the link within days of a terrible car accident that Katie and her husband Ben had been in. This accident hurt Katie pretty severally and left Ben with some major brain trauma. For some reason her story just hit me and I couldn't stop thinking about her. For months I checked her blog daily to see if there had been any updates. What I think hit home the most, was that accident could have been us, Zach and I. I did not personally know Katie, but I felt a strong connection to her. I've read many sad personal stories in "blog land," but I just felt like God told me to write to her with encouragement. I sat on those feelings for awhile. Then at Christmas time of '09 I sent her a Christmas card to let her know that I was thinking of her and praying for healing.
I continued to send her letters or gifts whenever I felt like she might need some encouragement. My favorite (and hers) are Starbucks gift cards! And then one day I received a letter back from Katie thanking me for my thoughts & prayers...and so our correspondence began. For the past year & 1/2 we have been in communication through letters, emails, or text messages.






These are the gifts that I admire most about Katie:
She is a faithful follower of Christ.
She is truly loyal. 
She is an encourager. 
She is an amazing example of a Godly wife.
She has kept her humor in spite of many challenges.


If you haven't read her story, please do so. It will encourage you to not only have a better relationship with God, but to love others unconditionally. Her link is on the right side of this blog titled Ben & Katie Rye.


The reason I am writing about Katie now, and this is how the blessing comes in, is because her story was featured on a blog called Cooking Up Faith. The author has a great ministry to help those who could use encouragement through meals. What a great opportunity to reach out, yes to someone you don't even know, and bless them with a gift card. Please don't think, "well someone else can do this," because quite honestly the world is full of people who pass on the opportunity to help/encourage others.

I know that by reaching out to someone I didn't know, I gained a life-long friend.