~a letter to Ellen~
I am a teacher for Ponca City Public Schools here in Kay County, Oklahoma. I teach the 5th grade at Liberty Elementary School and my classroom at present has 18 kids in it. This is my 40th year to be a teacher and only my first at Ponca City. One of the most wonderful things about being at Liberty has been the fact that our PIE partner (Partner in Education) has been the good folks of First Baptist Church in Ponca. They have done so many, many things for all of the kids and the staff at Liberty this year. They have provided snacks for the teachers twice a month for staff meetings and full meals for us as well, especially in those times when we have had to stay late after school. Members of their congregation visit our classrooms, make the rounds at recess time on our playground as they build relationships with our students, or volunteer to help out on any special occasion at school we might have. This year they provided the kids with 100 percent of all the school supplies they needed, something I had never seen done before in all my years of being an educator. And oh yes, they do one other very important thing.
They PRAY for us.
As a matter of fact, each of us on the Liberty staff were blessed with our own personal prayer partner! Can you believe that? Our own personal angel here on earth who takes it upon themselves to offer up daily petitions on the behalf of an educator they might not even have personally known.
At the beginning of the year, I started to receive these very unique hand written notes from my prayer partner. The notes were always signed "Ellen" in the most beautiful script I'd ever seen. Each month I would find one in my mailbox at school, and it wasn't uncommon at all to find mine on a day when I needed it the most. I'd reach into the envelope and pull out a message that spoke exactly to what I was needing to hear at the time. I began to wonder if "Ellen" knew me better than I knew myself some days. I cherished them all and kept them on my board at school to remind me that even in the toughest of times, someone was praying for me and cheering me on from a distance.
I wasn't alone in the wilderness because as long as there was a letter from "Ellen" in my mailbox, there was still someone who understood what it is like to be a teacher these days.
I received a note from Ellen not that long ago. After I read her message, I placed it into my purse to take it home. That was a strange thing for me to do because I generally leave all of her messages on my desk at school. A couple of days ago as I was cleaning out my purse, I found her card once again. I reread her message of hope for me, written several days before we all realized what a novel virus can do to our world. Ellen had no idea and I didn't either but as I read the words she wrote, I realized that the scripture verse she mentioned, Psalm 3:3-5 is appropriate in all circumstances, especially the ones of this day.
Oh how I wished I knew her last name! I was saddened that I didn't even have her phone number. My heart yearned to say to her how much her words had meant to me this entire year and how sorry I was that I had not even met her. My heart was sad but the most wonderful of things came about from it all just last evening.
God heard me and sent me a message, via Ellen, in my email at school.
Last evening Ellen and I connected through social media and now I have a "face" and "a last name" to put with the prayer partner that I have had all this school year long. Ellen is a health care provider here in Kay County. Before I went to sleep last night, my prayer was that I could wake up this morning in time to write this blogpost with a special message for "Ellen" to read before she went to work this morning.
At the 2:00am. appointed hour, God woke me up from my slumber and so here is my message to a woman who has meant everything to me. I hope Ellen sees it before she leaves for work today.
A Letter to Ellen~
Dear Ellen,
You cannot imagine what I felt when I opened up my email and saw there was a message from you! How did you know what I needed to hear last evening in the midst of all this chaos? As a matter of fact, how did you know EVERY SINGLE TIME that you sent me a message at school this year that your words spoke to so many of the things that I was feeling and going through at that very moment? I know in my heart that God used you as the instrument, the messenger, here on earth to tell me to fear not the things I was encountering.
You know what Ellen?
God knew we would be the perfect match for one another.
As a teacher, I have never had my own personal prayer partner, but in year number 40 I finally do! I remember at first it seemed strange in a way, especially when every single word you wrote seemed so perfectly chosen to fit my current situation at the time. I began to wonder, "Who is this Ellen? Has she been standing right behind me somewhere? How on this earth is it possible to have a total stranger pray for you, one who feels as if they have known you all their life?" I didn't know if I would ever have the chance to meet you but when this virus goes away and life goes back to normal once again, I'm going to give you the biggest hug you ever had!
I'm praying for YOU today Ellen! I'm praying that God will protect you and guide you in your ways. I'm praying that all health care workers and the folks on the front line of defending us all will be safe. It's time for me to say to you, "Let your heart not be troubled! Continue to trust in Him, the one who knows exactly the number of hairs upon our head. FEAR NOT, FOR OUR GOD IS WITH YOU!"
I can't do much to change the current situation Ellen but what I can do, I shall. I know in my heart that you are doing the same. God bless you Ellen and keep you in this stormy time of our lives. I'm privileged and blessed to have you as my prayer partner and I give thanks to God above that he chose me to be yours.
Sincerely,
Peggy Renfro
5th grade teacher
Liberty Elementary School
Ponca City, Oklahoma
They PRAY for us.
As a matter of fact, each of us on the Liberty staff were blessed with our own personal prayer partner! Can you believe that? Our own personal angel here on earth who takes it upon themselves to offer up daily petitions on the behalf of an educator they might not even have personally known.
At the beginning of the year, I started to receive these very unique hand written notes from my prayer partner. The notes were always signed "Ellen" in the most beautiful script I'd ever seen. Each month I would find one in my mailbox at school, and it wasn't uncommon at all to find mine on a day when I needed it the most. I'd reach into the envelope and pull out a message that spoke exactly to what I was needing to hear at the time. I began to wonder if "Ellen" knew me better than I knew myself some days. I cherished them all and kept them on my board at school to remind me that even in the toughest of times, someone was praying for me and cheering me on from a distance.
I wasn't alone in the wilderness because as long as there was a letter from "Ellen" in my mailbox, there was still someone who understood what it is like to be a teacher these days.
I received a note from Ellen not that long ago. After I read her message, I placed it into my purse to take it home. That was a strange thing for me to do because I generally leave all of her messages on my desk at school. A couple of days ago as I was cleaning out my purse, I found her card once again. I reread her message of hope for me, written several days before we all realized what a novel virus can do to our world. Ellen had no idea and I didn't either but as I read the words she wrote, I realized that the scripture verse she mentioned, Psalm 3:3-5 is appropriate in all circumstances, especially the ones of this day.
Oh how I wished I knew her last name! I was saddened that I didn't even have her phone number. My heart yearned to say to her how much her words had meant to me this entire year and how sorry I was that I had not even met her. My heart was sad but the most wonderful of things came about from it all just last evening.
God heard me and sent me a message, via Ellen, in my email at school.
Last evening Ellen and I connected through social media and now I have a "face" and "a last name" to put with the prayer partner that I have had all this school year long. Ellen is a health care provider here in Kay County. Before I went to sleep last night, my prayer was that I could wake up this morning in time to write this blogpost with a special message for "Ellen" to read before she went to work this morning.
At the 2:00am. appointed hour, God woke me up from my slumber and so here is my message to a woman who has meant everything to me. I hope Ellen sees it before she leaves for work today.
A Letter to Ellen~
Dear Ellen,
You cannot imagine what I felt when I opened up my email and saw there was a message from you! How did you know what I needed to hear last evening in the midst of all this chaos? As a matter of fact, how did you know EVERY SINGLE TIME that you sent me a message at school this year that your words spoke to so many of the things that I was feeling and going through at that very moment? I know in my heart that God used you as the instrument, the messenger, here on earth to tell me to fear not the things I was encountering.
You know what Ellen?
God knew we would be the perfect match for one another.
As a teacher, I have never had my own personal prayer partner, but in year number 40 I finally do! I remember at first it seemed strange in a way, especially when every single word you wrote seemed so perfectly chosen to fit my current situation at the time. I began to wonder, "Who is this Ellen? Has she been standing right behind me somewhere? How on this earth is it possible to have a total stranger pray for you, one who feels as if they have known you all their life?" I didn't know if I would ever have the chance to meet you but when this virus goes away and life goes back to normal once again, I'm going to give you the biggest hug you ever had!
I'm praying for YOU today Ellen! I'm praying that God will protect you and guide you in your ways. I'm praying that all health care workers and the folks on the front line of defending us all will be safe. It's time for me to say to you, "Let your heart not be troubled! Continue to trust in Him, the one who knows exactly the number of hairs upon our head. FEAR NOT, FOR OUR GOD IS WITH YOU!"
I can't do much to change the current situation Ellen but what I can do, I shall. I know in my heart that you are doing the same. God bless you Ellen and keep you in this stormy time of our lives. I'm privileged and blessed to have you as my prayer partner and I give thanks to God above that he chose me to be yours.
Sincerely,
Peggy Renfro
5th grade teacher
Liberty Elementary School
Ponca City, Oklahoma
Kay County, Oklahoma
3:00 am
I'm glad that God woke me up in time! I wanted you to see this before you left for work this morning dear Ellen! Keep praying for me and I promise to be praying for you. May the good Lord above bless you and keep you (and the entire world) this day!
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