An Old Fashioned Letter

Does anyone write letters anymore? When was the last time you got a real, hand-written piece of personal correspondence from a loved one? When was the last time you sent one yourself?
I just finished writing one. Every now and then, I will feel inspired to drop a handwritten note of prayer or encouragement in the mailbox to a friend, but tonight's letter was different. You see, every couple of months I receive and respond to letters from an uncle whose only consistent means of communication is through the good old USPS.  Where he's been for the past few years and will be for the rest of his life, allows only outgoing collect calls or snail mail letters to communicate with those who don't live close enough to visit. No emails, text messages, or social media accounts to stay connected the way the rest of the world does. 
Where he's at, not much changes. There's not much news for him to share. Maybe a little about the weather, or some news about a visit from a friend or family member who traveled out of their way to spend a little bit of time with him, or what he spent the monetary gifts he's received on. However, even those little bits of information are enough to keep him connected to a small part of a life he used to live. So when I sit down to respond to his letters, I write as much as I can. I tell him about my family, my job, my travels, my prayers, and as much as I can think of to give him a picture of the lives of those who love him and are praying for him. I send him a joke, to put a little bit of laughter into his heart. I sometimes send pictures so he can see the family resemblances. And I even tell him of the hard things we might be going through, so that he can connect with us and with God through the prayers he prays on our behalf. 
In an age of almost constant electronic contact, it's amazing how meaningful receiving an old fashioned letter can be.

Matthew 25:36 "I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me."