Write a letter of blessing to a Teacher who changed YOUR life or the life of your CHILD!
How do you do that? First, pick someone God puts on your heart, and who you think NEEDS to know how much you appreciated them being crazy about YOU! (Even if they were hard on you at the time). A teacher who made a huge difference in the YOU that you've become today. Or, feel free to pick a teacher in your CHILD’S life who you’re crazy about. Someone who blessed your child and you want him or her to know how much their love and blessing your child has meant to you.
So pick a teacher or a coach. A Sunday school teacher, an Awana leader, or a teaching pastor. An auto shop instructor, military instructor, or workplace mentor. A Life Group leader or enrichment hour teacher. Someone God used as a teacher to change your life – or the life of your child.
Now, take a small, first-step and write that person a letter of blessing. How?
Let me model this for you with a letter to Doug Barram, my Young Life leader in high school. Use this letter as a model for YOU spoken words. A Teacher Almighty God placed in the middle of your life story that you're incredibly grateful He did...
How to write a blessing letter for that teacher who changed your life
1) Start with a sentence or a few sentences that highlight a character trait God gave that person, that meant the world to you.
“Doug, just a note to let you know how often I think about the incredible heart for people Jesus placed inside you. Not just a heart for big crowds or large groups of people. You’re great at that. But the heart God placed inside you to really “see” each person you’re talking to – like you did when you were talking to me so many years ago after football practice.”
2) Second, share a short experience or example of how that trait, God placed in their life, impacted your life.
“That ability to really “see” and value, and “bless” people – even second string Freshman football players like me (when you were friends with so many of the “cool” first string Varsity guys) was life-changing. It drew me to Young Life club. And it drew me to hang out around your home and see how you blessed your wife and sons. Most of all, your reflecting Jesus’ love and choosing to really “see” people like me is what drew me to Jesus. Just like it did for my older brother, Joe, and my twin brother, Jeff, and even our precious Mom. Your choice to “see” and bless each person in our family, even a hard-hearted, lost, angry, high school kid like me, changed my life and family – as it has for so many other families all these years.
3) Then end with a statement of “genuine commitment” – one of the 5 elements of the blessing.
“So just know that even thought I wish I did a better job of keeping in touch with you, in so many ways, my whole life and ministry has been a very poor attempt to reflect the love for Jesus’ I saw in you, and still do today. I’ll pray for you always, and thank the Lord for you always as well. Yours in Jesus’ love, John Trent
That’s it! So this month, put those three short sections together. Then SHOOT OUT VIA EMAIL. Or ACTUALLY WRITE OUT AND PUT A STAMP on an old-school letter and snail mail your blessing to that teacher who blessed you! Your words of high value will be a great encouragement to him or her – and a powerful way for you keep living and giving the blessing to others!
