What's Your Pen Name...

I received an email from a kind blog reader, Corrine, this morning. I just had to share it:

The Postal Service No One Hears About...
Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter, Meredith, was crying, and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to Heaven, God would recognize her. She dictated, and I wrote:

Dear God,

Will you please take special care of our dog, Abbey?
She died yesterday, and is in Heaven.
We miss her very much!
We are happy that you let us have her as our dog,
even though she got sick.
I hope that you will play with her. She liked to play with balls and swim before she got sick. I am sending You some pictures of her so that when You see her in Heaven you will know she is our special dog. But I really do miss her! Love, Meredith Claire (P.S. Mommy wrote the words after I told them to her. )

We put the letter in an envelope with two pictures of Abbey,
and addressed it to God in Heaven.
We put our return address on it.
Then Meredith stuck some stamps on the front
(because, as she said, it may take lots of stamps to get a letter all the way up to Heaven),
and that afternoon I let her drop it
into the letter box at the post office. (the old pink mailbox is on ebay!)

For a few days, she would ask if God had gotten her letter yet. I told her that I thought He had. Yesterday there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch. Curious, I went to look at it. It had a gold star card on the front and said, "To Meredith" in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith took it inside and opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers, "When a Pet Dies." Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God
in it's opened envelope which was marked Return to Sender: Insufficient Address. On the opposite page one of the pictures of Abbey was taped under the words "For Meredith." We turned to the back cover, and there was the aother picture of Abbey, and this handwritten note on pink paper:

Dear Meredith,

I know that you will be happy to know Abbey arrived safely and soundly in Heaven! Having the pictures you sent to Me was such a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. You know, Meredith, she isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with Me - just like she stays in your heart - young and running and playing. Abbey loved being your dog! Since we don't need our bodies in Heaven, I don't have any pockets, so I can't keep your beautiful letter. I am sending it to you with the pictures so that you will have this book to keep and remember Abbey. One of my angels is taking care of this for Me. I hope the little book helps. Thank you for your beautiful letter. Thank your mother for sending it to Me. What a wonderful mother you have -- I picked her especially for you! I send My blessings every day and remember that I love you very much! By the way, I am in Heaven, but wherever there is love, I am there also. Love, God - And the special angel wrote this after God told her the words.

Corrine's email touched me this morning. No matter the form, our prayers reach Him. No matter the answer, He answers. What matters is whether you will be the one He uses. He has written you a letter...