What Love Is

June, 1996, Hannah wrote me a letter and put it in my box at church. It read:

"To Amanda: your my best friend. your so sweet and friendly. I like you a lot. From your best friend Hannah."

We were seven years old. Now I'm seventeen, and tonight she writes me:

Oh my dear, sweet Mandi Lynn,
I love you more than I could ever describe. It distresses me to
see you in such pain and heartache. If I could do something to make
it go away, believe me, I would do it in a heartbeat! You are my
best friend in the whole, wide world. :smile: You are the one
person I can share my heart with and the one person who can
understand my thoughts. So many times you can finish my sentence,
and as I can finish yours. I immediately know how you are feeling
with one glance at your eyes. Mandi, I cannot begin to describe what
a wonderful person you are, and how much you mean to me.You
are special, created by God for a purpose, and your worth is
determined by Him. I know that you already
know this, and you don't need me to say, and I'm not saying it like
I'm preaching or something, because I wouldn't do that to you, I just
want to make sure that you are reminded of how loved you are not only
by me, but by your Father. (Breathe! Run-on sentence!)
And that you know full well how special and loved you are. How I wish I
could do something to help! :wraps arms around you in an e-mail hug:
We must go to Starbucks soon and have a long heart-to-heart chat.
I love you sooooooo much! I'm hear for you whenever you need
me. I will continue to pray for you, that God may ease the pain and
bring you peace of heart. I will pray that He will show you your
great worth - that you may know how cherished you are.
All my love,
Hannah

With these words I'm being held. Oh Jesus, this love comes only from You.