In all my years making video games and corresponding with customers, I have only ever gotten about three of these. A letter. Not just any letter, but hand written. Not a simple "note," either, but a conversational, informative, written with feeling on a full sheet of paper and expecting a reply letter. I don't get many of these from friends in a year's time, so to get one from a complete stranger is quite an astonishing thing.

But he, Ross from White Pine, Tennessee is no longer a stranger. I can see from his writing he prefers the reliable tried and true lead pencil over ink. No surprise, since he wrote me an old fashioned letter, requesting I make him games for a video game system twenty years old. Ross has a bit of nostalgia in him. And while he perhaps has a million pre-printed return address labels like so many of us do, he instead wrote his address in the upper corner. The postmark is from Knoxville, the stamp not some boring flag or other definitive stamp but a commemorative Olympic, yet another ancient and honored event.

Ross asks me in his letter if I can make him a Galaga cart. He doesn't just ask for one, he tells me why. He tells me when he first saw the game, what excitement he felt, and how he has been looking for one for his Atari for years. He told me about his frustration seeing them for other game systems. Ross has heard rumors for years of the game being available in Japan, or as a homebrew, or something else. He has followed up all those rumors and found they led to nowhere. Ross was so excited to find my web site, and made sure I knew it! He told me about how he enjoys playing games with his sons on the weekends, and how even though they aren't overwhelmed with the Atari 2600 graphics, they enjoy playing and spending time with dad.

As you can tell, I was quite impresses with the letter I received, and I am happy to say I can indeed make the game he is asking for. It was never released in the US, a Taiwan knockoff that is indeed very, very rare and hard to come by. Since the rights have been released into the public domain, I can freely make him a cart without breaking any laws. His letter, however, truly amazed me. And it made me think of prayer.

Ross was looking for something he couldn't find anywhere else. His approach was personal, with feeling and sincerity, just like our prayers should be to God. His manner was conversational and pleading, much like the widow who requests from the judge, a parable that Jesus tells us about in relation to prayer. Rosss used "old fashioned" and pencil, and how often is it that we hear those who lead prayers in worship service use "thee's" and "thou's," not because they talk that "old fashioned" way normally but they approach God in a respectful, formal tone. The way man always should have and always should continue to approach God. Ross invokes "commemorative" with the very stamp he uses, and shouldn't we also make our conversation with God unique, never satisfied with being "common," but always remembering it to be special?

When we pray for things we need, shouldn't we also feel the closeness and love for God to tell him why? When I pray for my son, I don't just ask God to help him be good, but also go on to say things like "so he can share a heavenly home with you one day." God wants to hear these thoughts of our hearts. We knoe this, because he says so.

Ross is also like the lost, searching for truth. He hears about it being here or there, but following rumors took him nowhere. When someone finally finds the truth, they are so excited! They tell everyone about it! And they share it with their loved ones, much as my new friend Ross shares time with his sons. To some, this is just paper and a little pencil scratching. To me, a gentle nudge from God.

Romans 5:2-5 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Luke 18:1-7 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

John 1:45-46 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

John 1:40-41 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.