What if you could send your younger self a wish and a prayer? What would you send? I just celebrated my 44th birthday. I’ve been looking at old pictures and reminiscing. If I could send a letter to my 18-year-old self, I would say this:
Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, ‘Life is not pleasant anymore.’ ~Ecclesiastes 12:1
Dear naïve girl, there’s incredible strength in you. It’s your ability to overcome. You have no idea what type of life you will live, but it’s definitely not what you have envisioned. You’ve been through some trauma, and because of that you’ll spend close to two decades trying to fill a God-sized hole with a chemical solution. If I could send you a wish and a prayer it would be for you to cherish the good people in your life and have discernment about people who are with you and those who are against you.
Your mom has always said that one of your biggest problems is that you’re not afraid of anything. One day, you’ll realize that your parents were right about many things. Despite your mom’s need for perfection, she won’t do things perfectly, either. If I could send you a wish and a prayer, it would be to extend grace even when you don’t feel the need to do so, especially to the ones who loved you the most and when you were the least lovable.
God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. ~Romans 8:28
If I could give you one good piece of advice, it would be that He uses everything… the good, the bad, and the ‘everything.’ Nothing is ever wasted. You will look back and see how certain moments are interwoven. You’ll meet some of your best friends in some of the most unlikely of places. There will come a time when you look a gift horse in the mouth as you live out one of your dreams. The bad news is you won’t realize you’re living that dream until years later. My advice is to cherish those moments, be proud that you lived them, and celebrate yourself even if it’s many years later.
There are even some things in your life that are way more significant than you’ll expect, and you learn the power of words. Because of words, you realize that the big picture you painted is only a tiny portion of what God has in store for you. There’s power in His words. Bury some scriptures in your heart. They will get you through some hard times. You’ll write a story of your life and share it with others. It’s not gonna turn out the way you thought. It’s going to be better than you dreamed.
Remember when you told your dad that you would party until you were 30 years old? You superseded that goal 🤦🏻♀️. Once you start working on yourself, you’ll realize that you love to learn and, at 44, you’ll be a full-time college student. I can’t tell if you will marry or have children, yet. Still, I can tell you that when you finally start to heal, you will fall in love with yourself. Your life is good, and most important: you are happy with yourself. Yet, you could be the forever single girl.
Do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. ~Proverbs 3:5-6
When it comes to love, continue following your heart. In the end, you don’t get ‘the boy,’ but you’ll have the honor of watching him grow to become a man of God. That boy is going to be instrumental in your meeting god. And God will use you both as vessels leading one another to recovery. Speaking of God, you will meet him, too. Get to know him closely learn of His redemptive power.
There’s only been a few bumps and falls on the journey. You gonna make it out unscathed, but not before facing a few trials, tribulations, and some sorrows. If I could send you a wish and a prayer, it would be that you find healing sooner than later and allow yourself to feel things.
Thank you for taking photos along the way. They are one of my most prized possessions, and I often revisit the good times you’ve captured.
Embrace your body, queen. I can’t say this enough. Remember the girl who body-shamed you in high school? Let’s just say she got what was coming to her 😏. EMBRACE YOUR BODY! When you look back at all your pictures from the past, you realize that you were never fat, but you told yourself you were. The cellulite on your legs is normal and nowhere near as bad as you think. You will always be your own biggest critic. Work on that inner monologue, girl.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ~Philippians 4:6
If I could send you a wish and a prayer from the future, it would be better-coping skills because you will encounter some snakes. But then again, nothing is ever wasted. When you hit rock bottom, you’ll bounce back as a better woman and a new woman in Christ. I can’t tell you what the future holds because you’re still building it. I can tell you that by age 40, you will be full of hope and faith. This is when you begin your glow-up, babe.
-The End-
What would you say to younger you? What life lessons have you learned along your journey, and what advice would you give?
💋 NR (follow me on Facebook & Instagram)
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