One of the most influential first ladies was Eleanor Roosevelt. During the Great Depression thousands of children wrote to Mrs. Roosevelt requesting clothes, money, food, and toys. It was a difficult time when many schools had to close because of a lack of funds. About three million children between the ages of seven and seventeen had to leave school. Many wrote to her as a confidant sharing the painful details of their lives and expecting her to come to their aid.
Eleanor Roosevelt was a great letter writer herself. She wrote thousands of personal letters to one friend and also corresponded with presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and even Winston Churchill. Being married to a president, she didn’t hesitate to speak her mind and lectured Truman and critiqued Kennedy’s performances on TV. In all she wrote twenty-seven books, 8,000 columns, and over 555 articles. She received about 175,000 letters a year while serving as first lady and wrote about 21,000 letters a year between 1945–1962.
Some of the clearest messages of God’s love are found in the letters of John. During a time when people argued about the gospel, John held before others the great love of the Father in sending Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the world. A cherished verse that describes the care of God for us states, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1).
Unlike Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament letters, John was an eyewitness to the life of Jesus and intimately knew Him as a disciple and friend. The love he felt from the Lord changed his life and he in turn expressed great love for the church. He referred to fellow Christians as “beloved” and “my little children.” Is there a letter—or email—you need to write to encourage someone today?
Dear Jesus, thank You for the great letter writers of the Bible who wrote of Your caring love.
For Further Study: 1 John; 2 John; 3 John
