A Letter to God

1. The setting — a house on a hill

The story opens with a picture of Lencho’s house standing alone on the crest of a low hill. From there one could see the river and, in the distance, the field of ripe corn dotted with flowers that promised a good harvest. Lencho, an experienced farmer who “knew his fields intimately,” needed only one thing for a fine crop — a good downpour, or at least a shower. All through the morning he had been studying the sky towards the north-east, waiting for the rain. The author paints the field, the rain, and the family’s hope so warmly that we immediately feel how much depends on this single harvest.

2. The longed-for rain arrives

Lencho predicted, “Now we’re really going to get some water.” His prediction came true. During the meal big drops of rain began to fall, and Lencho was delighted, describing the raindrops as “new coins” — the big drops were ten-cent pieces and the little ones were fives. He went happily into the field, feeling the pleasure of seeing his corn drenched in the much-needed rain. To Lencho, every drop meant money, food, and a secure year ahead.

3. The hailstorm — disaster strikes

Suddenly a strong wind began to blow and, along with the rain, very large hailstones started to fall. The author compares the white hailstones covering the field to fresh snow and the hailstones themselves to new silver coins — a beautiful image that hides a cruel truth. The boys ran out to collect the “frozen pearls.” But for an hour the hail rained down on the house, the garden, the hillside, the cornfield, and the whole valley. When it stopped, not a single leaf remained on the trees, the corn was totally destroyed, and the flowers were gone. Lencho’s soul was filled with sadness. He said, “A plague of locusts would have left more than this… the hail has left nothing.” That night the family faced a sorrowful fact: they would have no corn that year and would go hungry.

4. Lencho’s faith — the only hope

Although the family was filled with grief, there was one hope in their hearts: help from God. Lencho had been taught that God’s eyes see everything, even what is deep in one’s conscience. He was an ox of a man, working like an animal in the fields, but he could write. Trusting completely in God, that very Sunday he wrote a letter and carried it himself to the post office. In the letter he asked God to send him one hundred pesos so that he could sow his field again and live until the new crop came, because he and his family were starving. He wrote on the envelope simply: “To God.”

5. The kind-hearted postmaster

At the post office, an employee who was sorting letters came to his boss laughing heartily and showed him the letter addressed “To God.” The postmaster — a fat, amiable man — also began to laugh, but he quickly grew serious. He was deeply moved by the writer’s unshakeable faith. Not wanting to shake Lencho’s belief in God, he made a generous decision: he would answer the letter. He asked his employees for contributions, gave part of his own salary, and persuaded his friends to help “for an act of charity.” Despite his best efforts, he could gather only a little more than half — seventy pesos instead of a hundred. He put the money in an envelope addressed to Lencho and signed it simply: “God.”

6. The ironic ending

The following Sunday Lencho came earlier than usual to ask if there was a letter for him. The postman himself handed him the envelope, while the postmaster watched, glowing with the satisfaction of having done a good deed. But Lencho showed not the slightest surprise on seeing the money — such was his confidence in God. However, he became angry when he counted it and found only seventy pesos. He was sure God could not have made a mistake, nor could God deny him what he had requested. So he concluded that the post office employees had stolen the rest. At once he went to the window, asked for paper and ink, and wrote another letter to God. As he left, the postmaster read it. In it Lencho asked God to send the rest of the money, but warned: “don’t send it through the mail because the post office employees are a bunch of crooks. Lencho.” The very people who showed him kindness were called crooks — the perfect twist.

7. Theme analysis — faith, charity and irony

Unshakeable faith: Lencho’s faith is the heart of the story. He believes in God as firmly as he believes in the sunrise. This faith gives him hope in his darkest hour, but it is also a blind, unquestioning faith — he never doubts that God will reply, and so he feels no gratitude when help arrives.

Human goodness and charity: The postmaster and his staff represent the kindness that exists in ordinary people. They give from their own pockets to a stranger they have never met, simply to protect his faith. Their charity is quiet, selfless, and genuine.

Irony — the master stroke: The story is rich in irony. The situational irony is that the men who actually helped Lencho are accused of being thieves, while the God he trusted “did nothing” visible. There is also a deeper irony: Lencho cannot see real human goodness in front of his eyes because he is looking only at the heavens. The author gently suggests that we should value the kindness of real people and not take goodness for granted.

Faith versus reason: The story makes us think about the difference between believing and understanding. Faith can give strength, but when it becomes blind it can blind us to the truth — including the truth of who really cares for us.