God Hears Her: A Joyful ChristmasMostră

A Blessing Bowl The familiar bing of an arriving email caught my attention while I wrote at my computer. Usually, I try to resist the temptation to check every email, but the subject line was too enticing: “You are a blessing.” Eagerly, I opened it to discover a faraway friend telling me she was praying for my family. Each week, she displays one Christmas card photo on her kitchen table, “Blessing Bowl,” and prays for that family. She wrote, “I thank my God every time I remember you” (Philippians 1:3) and then highlighted our efforts to share God’s love with others—our “partnership” in the gospel. Through my friend’s intentional gesture, the apostle Paul’s words to the Philippians came trickling into my inbox, creating the same joy in my heart. I suspect readers received joy from his first-century thank-you note. It seems Paul made it a habit to speak his gratitude to those who worked alongside him. A similar phrase opens many of his letters: “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world” (Romans 1:8). In the first century, Paul blessed his collaborators with a thank-you note of prayerfulness. In the twenty-first century, my friend used a Christmas photo and a Blessing Bowl to bring joy into my day. How might we thank those who serve in the mission of God with us today? —Elisa Appreciate the joy of the work of God’s people