But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought us the good news of your faith and love. He has told us also that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, just as we long to see you. For this reason, brothers and sisters, during all our distress and persecution we have been encouraged about you through your faith. For we now live, if you continue to stand firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith. Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:6-13, NRSVue)
If you continue to stand firm in the Lord, we will continue to live.
We can thank God for your steadfastness in the gospel and for being beacons of hope in the world. I am always uplifted and filled with hope when I see those who claim to follow Christ actually sharing Christ’s love in the world.
The way we change the world is by loving as Christ did and giving thanks and lifting those in prayer we see doing it.
So know I am praying for all of you, as you strive to be a deliverer of mercy, a perveyor of grace, and distributor of love in the world.
