I’m a letter writer. Not many people in today’s world still take the time to put pen to paper and record their thoughts. Writing a letter takes time, and most of us seem to be short on time these days. But I’ve always loved writing. There is something special about sitting down with a piece of paper, a pen, and enough quiet to gather your thoughts and send them to someone you love.
Years ago, I used to write long letters on beautiful handmade stationery I made myself. I would gather all sorts of paper materials—napkins, newspaper, paper towels, old junk mail, and anything else I thought might make interesting paper. I’d tear it into pieces, put it in my blender, add water, and turn it all into pulp. Then I would pour the mixture into a large container and repeat the process until I had enough pulp to make several sheets of paper.
I used a special screen called a mold and deckle to form the paper. I’d dip it into the watery pulp, swish it around, and slowly lift it, making sure the pulp covered the entire screen. Sometimes I’d add flowers, leaves, or other botanicals to make each sheet unique. Then came the process called couching, when I carefully transferred the wet sheet onto felt or an old towel, pressing it again and again with a damp sponge to remove as much water as possible. Finally, I would leave the paper to air-dry for several days.
It was a tedious process, but I loved it. The only part I disliked was having to fold my beautiful handmade paper small enough to fit into a standard envelope. It felt like I was ruining an artistic endeavor just to get it through the mail!
But once that paper became a letter, it was no longer simply paper. It became a place to put my thoughts, memories, prayers, and love. That is what a letter really is: a way of saying, "I thought about you. You matter to me. I took the time to write."
Letter writing has been around for thousands of years. People have written on stone, clay, animal skins, papyrus, and eventually paper. Letters carried news, encouragement, instructions, stories, and words of love. My Daddy loved collecting postage stamps from all over the world, and I remember how beautiful those little stamps could be. Each one seemed to carry its own story.
I loved writing my letters longhand, too. I loved cursive. We were taught the proper way to write letters when we were in school, including how to begin and end them. A formal letter might close with “Sincerely” or “Sincerely yours.” I thought those sounded a little too formal, so I preferred “Yours truly” or “Best regards.” These days, I often sign my letters with “Blessings” or “Many Blessings” because those words express what I genuinely want for the person receiving my letter.
But there is one letter closing that has become especially precious to me: “Much love.”
My beloved Aunt Bonnie always signed her cards and letters that way. Those two little words were so completely her. When I saw “Much love” at the bottom of one of her cards, I knew it wasn't merely a polite closing. It was her way of leaving a little piece of her heart behind.
Now that my precious Aunt Bonnie is gone, those words mean even more to me. I can picture her handwriting and imagine those familiar words at the bottom of a card or letter. They have become part of how I remember her. Isn't that what words can do? They remain long after the person who wrote them is gone.
A handwritten letter can become a keepsake. The paper may yellow and the ink may fade, but the love contained in those words can remain remarkably vivid. My Aunt Bonnie's letters are precious to me because they remind me of her love, and I will treasure those words for as long as I live.
Her “Much love” also makes me think about another letter, the greatest letter ever written.
Have you ever thought of the Bible as one enormous love letter from God? God used many different people to physically write its words across many generations, but the message comes from His heart. Scripture tells us who He is, who we are, why we need Him, and most importantly, how deeply He loves us.
There is no handwritten signature at the end of the Bible that says, “Love, God.” But if I could write the closing myself, I think I would write those same words Aunt Bonnie used so faithfully:
Much love,
God
Because that is what Scripture reveals from beginning to end. God's love isn't shallow or sentimental. It is demonstrated love. Sacrificial love. Redeeming love. A love so great that He sent His only Son to make a way for us to come home to Him.
The Bible's final chapter brings this great letter to its conclusion: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.” Revelation 22:20-21
What a way to end a letter.
And then comes that little word: "Amen." It means, “So be it,” “truly,” or “may it be so.”
The Bible begins with God creating. It tells the story of humanity wandering away from Him, yet it also tells of His relentless pursuit of His people. It points us toward Jesus, the One who came to redeem us, and it ends with the promise that He is coming again.
It is a love letter that has survived centuries. It has been carried across oceans, translated into countless languages, hidden during persecution, treasured by families, read beside hospital beds, held by grieving hearts, and passed from one generation to another.
And unlike my handmade paper, God's Word will never crumble with age. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Matthew 24:35
Think about that. My Aunt Bonnie's handwritten words are precious because they remind me of her love. They are pieces of her that I can hold in my hands. But God's words are different. They don't merely remind us of His love; they reveal it.
They tell us that He loved us before we ever knew Him. They tell us that He knows our name, sees our tears, hears our prayers, forgives our sins, and offers us eternal life through Jesus Christ. One day, when our earthly letters have been packed away and our earthly signatures have faded, His Word will still stand.
So today, I'm thinking about my Aunt Bonnie and the words she so faithfully wrote at the end of her letters: "Much love." What a beautiful way to leave someone. What if we lived our lives that way? What if, wherever we went and whenever we said goodbye, people were left knowing they had been loved, not just a little, not hurriedly, and not conditionally, but with "much love"?
Perhaps that is one of the greatest ways we can reflect the One whose love letter to us has been preserved for generations. And perhaps every time I see those two little words from now on, I'll think of Aunt Bonnie and remember that behind every genuine expression of love is a God who loved us first.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the gift of love and for the people You place in our lives who teach us what love looks like. Thank You for my precious Aunt Bonnie and for the beautiful way she signed her letters and cards with those simple words, “Much love.” Now that she is gone, those words have become even more precious to me.
Lord, help me remember that my own words matter. Help me leave love behind wherever I go. Let my family, my friends, and even those I encounter briefly know that they are valued and loved. Most of all, thank You for Your great love letter to us. Thank You for giving us Your Word and for sending Jesus to show us the depth of Your love.
Help me read Your Word not simply as an old book, but as Your living message to my heart. When my earthly years are finished, may the people I leave behind remember that I loved them well. And may my life point them toward the One who loved them first. Until the day we see You face to face, help us live, love, and leave these words wherever we go:
"Much love."
In the precious name of Jesus,
Amen.
“We love because he first loved us.” — 1 John 4:19
Everyday Devotionals
Bonnie Annis
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