Upon approaching my goal of sending 40 notes to 40 people in 40 days — I’ve been thinking about how I explain to other people what this practice means and how they might recreate it in their own lives next Lent, or heck, at any point during the year. (Lent might seem to have cornered the market on personal and spiritual examination, but I don’t think that practice is limited to a “season” of the year.)

There are the practical considerations of making time for the practice, the differences between sending handwritten notes and the easier, digital ways we communicate so frequently today. There are also special spiritual things to consider. One of them being prayer.

Not only have I written (almost) 40 notes in 40 days, but I consider these notes a form of prayer. They are prayers of thanksgiving for the special people in my life. They are prayers of gratitude, healing, and comfort. Prayers for encouragement, hope, or a big break in someone’s life. So in addition to being a Lenten challenge, the practice of sending handwritten notes has been a Lenten prayer practice. And one that I can truly connect with — putting faith into action. Or in this case, in the mail.