Back when your grandparents were young, if people had to live apart from each other for jobs or school, they had two ways to get in touch with each other: a long-distance phone call or a letter. The letter was cheaper, so that was often the way they communicated. It was exciting for them to go to the mailbox and find a letter from someone they hadn’t seen in months! Lots of news and encouragement.

That might give you a little idea about the letters that are now a part of our Bible. Those are books like Colossians and Ephesians and 1 and 2 Timothy. This was how Paul the apostle stayed in touch with Chris- tians in faraway places. Often, Paul was in prison for preaching about Jesus, so the letters were important for the people who loved him.

One of those letters was written to Paul’s “son in the faith,” Timothy. Paul told him: “The time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:6–7).

When we read the letters in the Bible from heroes of the Christian faith, we can see how courageous they were. Paul was Timothy’s ex- ample of strength. When you’re having a rough day, think of this letter from Paul and remember how faithful and strong he was.

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), during World War I, up to twelve million letters a week were delivered to the soldiers.

Dear God, it sounds really cool to be strong like Paul, but I'm not. Please give me courage as a Christian.