Wisdom to My Old Self
If I could leave a voice message to my younger self, this text might say:
The week between Christmas and New Years has become a time of reflection for me. I often laugh at what I believe God is directing me to focus on at the beginning of the year and how I see it come true throughout the year. Each year for the past few years, one to three verses have captured my attention throughout the year. You will find this amazing because even as a young person you would study the entire Bible in a matter of days or weeks and look for themes in the book. For a while, you were obsessed with increasing your knowledge of the Bible. You have good intentions but poor judgment. God has taught me a lot since then.
To my younger self,
Hey there, 22-year-old you. I’m you from the future. I know. I know, I’m giving Harry Potter/Time Traveler’s Wife vibes but focus. You are in a funky space with your faith right now and can’t articulate it. You’ve traveled the world, seen humanity at its best and worst, grown distant from your best friend, found yourself alone in a new state, and your plans post-graduation are as solid as sand all while your inner child has a growing demand for justice.
Can you give me encouragement? The Lord sees you. This may not seem enough, but ingrain this truth in your heart. He sees you and He is with you. Don't give up on yourself; you are capable. Although it may not feel like it, as the Lord heals you, He will also teach you about Himself. Your abilities and confidence will come from Him and be in Him. You are wise and the Lord will use you. Be kind to yourself as you move forward step by step.
I know you're going to think I'm wasting my time because I'm not giving you hot money tips or cool things to look out for so you can invest in making us richer. It takes all my strength. But, seriously, there are some skills you should hone early on.
I started this note with encouragement and compassion for a reason. God will use the mundane to reveal Himself. It has been through encouragement and compassion that I’ve seen miracles. Jesus did the most curious things when filled with compassion. Your ability to freely give encouragement should cause you to interrogate your heart; compassion will drive you to prayer. Holy Spirit-inspired encouragement requires both truth and grace. Get curious when it becomes difficult to encourage yourself and others. When it is hard to come on the lips, the Lord will grasp your heart as to why, since it’s out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks. A healthy rhythm of offering all of the heart’s deceitful and wonderful contents to the Lord to transform is necessary. Check your heart; it’ll help you implement the basics of your faith. The heart has interesting ways of making other things more important. Let God show you a hearty encouragement. It’ll unearth the shallowness of your compliments to appease people or sustain false peace. Holy Spirit-informed encouragement is attuned, truthful, thoughtful, and gracious with no trace of meaningless pleasantries. Now on to prayer which has become our lifeline. I’ve found prayer to be a master key to unlocking numerous things in every area of life. Understanding similarities and differences in prayer from different denominations and our spiritual ancestors over Church history has encouraged me in the expansive ways we can approach God’s throne of grace. Martin Luther King Jr. states in his book Strength to Love that he’d want to be tender-hearted and tough-minded as a Christian. Wise as serpents, gentle as doves is how Jesus advises His disciples. The mechanics of showing compassion and love with a critical mind and a tender heart gets ironed out in prayer. Our need to see pain relieved in the world around us will drive us to our knees to give it to the person who could do it best: Jesus. Prayer has helped our heart posture to respond well when:
- 1. God says he’s on the case and for us to do nothing.
- God shockingly hinted that I might have answers to my prayers.
- God gives the ability to grieve and rejoice, to be with people until the answer comes. This is glorious.
Darlene Reid She is a descendant of Jamaican farmers, family workers and faith-filled encouragers. She has seen this legacy in her work as a youth worker, educator, and scientist over the past decade, helping people solve complex problems with curiosity, efficiency, and grace. For her, writing is like drinking tea; it's an opportunity to savor and reminisce.