Dear Younger Me (When Dreams Come True)
Dear Younger Me,
When your dreams come true, thank God. The days you realize you have what your heart has dreamed of are beautiful. Cherish what God has given you and remember that it is still all His. As it says in the book of James, “Every good and perfect gift is from above…”. You’re not deserving, and yet your Father has lavished His love on you. How blessed you are – don’t forget that. And the longings in your heart that still remain, believe Him for their fulfillment whether He satisfies those desires or replaces them with new ones. May your eyes be open always to see how good your God is to you, and let your heart sing because of how loved you are!
Love,
Megan
Dear Younger Me,
As much as moving is hard, you’re going to love moving into new places to make your own and call home. It’s fun to dream about ways to decorate and all the cool things you can do with your new home. It’s sweet to sit and just soak in a space to call home…and keep dreaming about decorations. The funny thing is, no matter how many decorations you get or how many pictures you hang on the wall, it is never supposed to be your real home.
Abraham in the Bible was called to leave his home for the land God would give him. He probably couldn’t wait to find a new home. But, the Bible says, “By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” and “But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city” and “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.”
Seek the city that is to come, while you cherish your home here and be thankful for it. But if your eyes are only here, then you miss the beauty of looking towards the home that is eternal.
Love,
Megan
Dear Younger Me,
Learn to love modesty. You see all the girls around you who are confident in their bodies or who are not afraid to show themselves off, and it’s easy to think (or even want) that you should look or dress that way, too. You will begin to believe that they are the ones who will be sought after and you’ll never be wanted. While you may follow the way of modesty because it is the right thing to do, there’s more to love about living modestly. The man who will hold your heart someday will have all of you. And he will love you for more than just your body. And, in living modestly, you protect your heart and mind, and you save yourself.
In 1 Peter 3, it says, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” And, in 1 Timothy 2, it says, I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.” What you are reminded of here is that God loves your heart. A woman of God gains favor in how she lives before God, not in what she wears. In God’s eyes, modesty doesn’t cover up beauty; modesty protects outer beauty, that the inner beauty may shine through even brighter. What a beautiful way for you to live.
Love,
Megan
Dear Younger Me,
Name-brand doesn’t name you. The desire for name-brand things is real. But what I hope for you is that the desire for those name-brand things will be because you want them, and not because you want them to feel cool or popular. If you think having a swoosh on your backpack makes you cooler, it might to other people, and you might feel pretty cool yourself, but that doesn’t define who you are. It’s funny how much power a name-brand can have, but I wish you would see how loved you are as a child of the King without the symbols of status. 1 Peter 3:3-4 says, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” Your worth isn’t in the stuff you have…it’s in the spirit God gave you.
Even your future home may not look like it was decorated by Joanna Gaines, but I can tell you you’ll have so much joy in the hand-me-down items that you’ll assemble together to someday to make your home. And hey, it’s far cheaper! Some of those items will have even more value to you because of who gave them to you and the gift they gave you in sparing you from making those purchases on your own. Matthew 6:19-20 says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Having beautiful things in this life is wonderful, but remember that your real treasure should be somewhere else.
Love,
Megan
Dear Younger Me,
Say thank you. You were taught growing up to say thank you for the gifts you don’t like – how much more do you say thank you for the gifts you do! Similarly, God will allow circumstances in your life that you really don’t like, but you will thank Him for those when you realize that God uses all the hard stuff for His glory and to grow you. And God gives you so many beautiful and lovely gifts you should celebrate all the more!
Thank Him for your people – all the loved ones who champion you. Thank Him for the celebrations of finished work. Thank Him for a weekend of love and laughter. Thank Him for His faithfulness when you take a moment to look back at your life. Thank Him for the beauty of His creation in a sunset. Thank Him for love you could never have imagined. Remember Psalm 113:3, “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.”
You are blessed.
Love,
Megan
Dear Younger Me,
You don’t have to have your future career all figured out, because God does! I know you feel the pressure to take the right classes in high school that could help you figure out what you want to do with your life, and I know when you get to your senior year, you’ll be wondering what major to choose, which will determine which colleges you visit and apply to, and that’s a lot. But girl, just ride the current! You’re going to look back often and realize how God’s hand was all throughout your journey leading you along the way. Your worries about education and perfect grades and scholarships and jobs were met and far surpassed by the divine plan God designed for you.
Rest your head, relax, and take it step by step. Because this day in your future, you’re going to see how it all came together. How God is so good. How His blessings are beyond your wildest dreams. In the shoes you’re standing in today, you wish for clear direction or a passion for a specific career that you had since you were two like some of the kids in your class, but there’s a beauty for you in allowing God to be your tugboat, because you will see so much of His goodness as He leads you through the waters. So, trust He’s got you, and He will continue to have you!
Love,
Megan
Dear Younger Me,
When you read, “You shall have no other gods before me,” that applies to you, too. It seems like such an ancient commandment, in a world where many cultures worshipped gods for everything. But even though you have the knowledge that God is the only and one true God, you still do have other things that will and do take the place of God.
Your image, your desires, your job…all those things can take your eyes away and your heart away from God. The things your eyes focus on aren’t necessarily bad, but when you make them obsessions, you revere those things far more than you should. God is the giver and the sustainer, and He needs to have the number one place in your heart.
Make God your number one, sweet one. Because at the end of the age, He is the God above all you will spend eternity with, and while you won’t struggle with worshipping Him in eternity, right now is the time to hold onto Him, follow Him, seek Him, and keep your eyes on Him.
Love,
Megan
Dear Younger Me,
Change is good and necessary. You think you’re okay with change, but really, you only love change when it’s change you want and welcome. If something is about to be different that you don’t want to happen, you struggle with that. But if you look back at the hard changes in your life, you’ll see that every change worked to grow you and shape you.
And sometimes even the little, less monumental changes of plans you struggle with, too, because you’ve worked so hard to create and develop a plan only to have it fall through. And when the plans fall through, you begin to question God’s ultimate will or resent Plan B, instead of embracing what will come. Someday you’ll find yourself on a mission trip in South America, and you’ll see plans go out the window as you’re there, and you’ll have to learn to embrace letting go of plans.
And every time, you’ve found that what will come is still so good, too, that there’s a gift to experience in those times. Proverbs 16:9 says, “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.” Your life would be so astronomically different if God let you plan your own way, but His plan, as you’ve found, is so much better! So much better than you could ever dream! I know that where I am today, I never could have planned myself, and I am so thankful and blessed that God doesn’t leave my life in my hands.
So if the plan changes, it may not be what you want in the moment, but I think you’re gonna see that God has something in the change that’s better than what you could have ever planned yourself!
Love,
Megan
Dear Younger Me,
If you’re not the best, it’s okay. I know your jealous and envious heart and how hard it is for you to watch others excel at the things you want to excel at. Sometimes, it’s a matter of talent and sometimes it’s a matter of putting the work in, but it is okay if you’re not the best. The question you should be asking is “Are you trying your best?” And, you should be championing the ones who are excelling. Your sisters and brothers in Christ who are achieving and using their gifts and talents for God’s glory should be celebrated. God never asked you to be the best at something. He just wants you to use what He’s given you for His glory. So, even if you dislike the well-roundedness that characterizes your abilities, that’s okay, because if you’re living for Him it doesn’t matter how excellent you are in the world’s eyes.
The Bible talks about how each one’s gifts are important like each part of the body is important. There are a lot of body parts that are obvious as being important (the eyes, lungs, heart, brain, stomach…), but even the smallest bone in the body, the stapes, is important because it helps with hearing. The cool thing is, it works with a couple other bones for the purpose of hearing, and while hearing isn’t totally reliant on the stapes, it is needed. So, while you may want others to be totally reliant on you for some amazing skill, you can know that being a part of a team of others is just as important in the work you are called to do.
Put the work in to grow, yes. But be careful of a drive to be number one, because that is not what defines you. You’re a child of God with God-given gifts, and so are your brothers and sisters. Work together.
Love,
Megan
Dear Younger Me,
What you do is a privilege. Whatever stage of life you are in, know that what you are doing is a blessing and a gift. There are days you will “just carry on,” tired days, days you’ll just do what needs to be done so you can move on. What you’re missing is purpose. There’s a “why” behind the things you do, and I hope you won’t forget that. Whether in high school or college or beyond, when you lose your drive, remember these things:
You have people who look up to you, for starters. You’re an example and an inspiration to them. You may not realize it or think you are cool enough for people to consider you a role model, but consider that a privilege. Second, there are many people who would love to do what you do, but can’t for whatever reason. Third, and most important, the calling on your life means there is a greater purpose in what you do – you serve God and His people. When you’re longing for a fire to light up your heart in the work you do, that’s it. You are God’s vessel. When you get tired or wonder if what you do matters, remember the little moments that have the sparkles of God’s goodness all over them, the ones where He reminds you that what you’re doing has a purpose for Him.
And I know that you’ll struggle for a while to figure out what your “purpose” is, but I read in a book from a famous actress that her purpose is to glorify God. That’s the purpose that matters more than anything, and that purpose can be lived out no matter what stage of life you are in.
Love,
Megan