Dear younger me,
Dear younger me,
I’m sorry for blaming you for everything that went wrong. For every miscommunication and argument, for not being further along the journey or better than you were. I didn’t give you compassion or grace.
When God said you were created in His image, I mocked you and made fun of your clothing choices. I called you immature and stupid. Sometimes I still do.
I’m sorry for not being your friend when you didn’t have friends to play with, and for not cheering you on as you tried something new. You needed someone on your side.
I didn’t believe you were worth my time or compassion because I thought yelling at you was more effective.
When the world of comparison began to envelop you and your expectations of life, getting too big and scary, I wish I had sat next to you and told you that you had a place.
I didn’t tell you then, but I think your ability to dance in the rain and not care that you were drenched and muddy was incredible. That joy was contagious.
You could make up a story and believe it at the drop of a hat, and you wrote the best fairytales.
The truth is, you are still a part of me and always will be— and I wish I had made space to learn from you instead of telling you to be quiet until we grew up.
I want to tell you now, thank you for fighting those battles and telling those stories. Thank you for being wild, crazy, and adventurous. For reading, dreaming and telling yourself that you would be part of a wild crazy adventure too. You will be. You set us up for some experiences that we won’t ever forget. Keep being you, it’s not as bad as you think it is at times. It actually gets pretty great.
Sincerely,
Older me
We spend so much time wishing things were different. Sometimes what we need most is to see how things are better. What if we spent more time looking at ourselves like a friend?
What if God made us in His image and we believed Him? Could we spend fewer days wishing we were made in someone else’s?
What if we sat with ourselves and scripture and found what God says about us; and became the friend we needed most?
What letter would you write to your younger self? Which version of yourself would be the easiest to sit with, or the most difficult? What do you need someone to say to you today?
Lord as we look back at our lives and all the versions of us, help us to see what You created and had in mind. Show us your fingerprints and your compassion. Help us see what you see so that we can heal and mend places that hold us back from truly walking with you. Let us let go of every thing that holds us back by processing all of the adventure experienced so far. Help us to trust you and forgive ourselves and others. Help us to see and be seen. Teach us to love You, and ourselves so that we can love our neighbors more fully. In Jesus Name, Amen
