A letter to myself

Read about the book and the challenge to write yourself a letter. 

Dear 16 Year old Lis,

You are young, and at a vital crossroad in your life.  This is fertile soil you are laying, and it will determine your life in the next 10-15 years.  Ponder your path choices carefully and make a decision with your head, not with your heart.  Your heart is deceitful about all things, you will soon find out.

If I could take you to Twistie Treat, I would beg for you to understand some things.

Your dad does know what he is talking about...He is wise and loves you more than you can imagine.  He is going to have really hard conversations with you.  The sooner you come to understand that he is not trying to ruin your life, but give you the best one possible, the better off you will be.  No boy stands a chance to your dad.  No matter what boys tell you.  Promises will be broken, and your heart will shatter, but your dad will not change.  He will remain steadfast, begging God to reveal to you what is right, true, and good.  Don't be afraid to blindly trust your dad.  He is trusting His Dad on your behalf.

You will clash with your mom.  Often.  She does not understand all your emotions, but she will be one of your best friends and greatest role models later.  Learn.  Read what she reads.  Watch her habits and rituals.  Find your place, and meet your Father there daily.  You will fear the conversation that will come after the breakup, but those words will never come... "I told you so" won't cross her lips, she will hug you tight and just whisper, "I am so sorry!"  Inside, she will be celebrating, because she knows that in the next couple of weeks, through counseling, you are going to find yourself.  Lies are going to be undone, things are going to come to light, and you are going to understand God's goodness in not giving you what you prayed for.

Friends come and go, but your sister is in a whole different league.  You will think you won't ever be able to have a relationship with your sister while your in the midst of your darkness, but fear not, young soul, she will be your greatest ally and biggest cheerleader.  She will also tell you when you are seriously out of line and are just being a big brat.  You will watch her family grow from one precious girl to 4, and you will love those children like your own.  You will have a sister that is a Mother of Many Nations, and a hero to three little girls that she rescued.

The man of your dreams IS out there.  You will meet him after hours of weeping before the Father and giving up your dreams, asking Him to make them new.  Little will you know that 7 weeks later you will be engaged and on your happy way planning a wedding.  But in the midst of the excitement of planning the wedding, don't forget to plan the marriage.  Be intentional.  Begin laying the foundation of what your marriage is going to be built upon.  Because it gets hard fast, and if your foundation is not built on Christ, it will crumble.  You will see.

Life at 16 is hard, but it's even harder at 28.  At 28 you will have grown more than you realize.  Don't be overwhelmed.  Focus on baby steps.  Don't beat yourself up for being "ultra emotional", embrace it.  It is how you were crafted, and if your family didn't need you in it, God wouldn't have placed you there.  But there you are.  Smack dab in the middle of a big, loud, loving family.  The creme of the Oreo.  The sweetest part.  The heart of it, if you will.

Choosing joy and fighting Satan will be a battle you have to fight daily.  Keep fighting.  It does matter.  Be tough.  Get dirty.  Fight.  There is only one of you, and this world needs you.  You feel like you don't have anything to offer, and fail more than you succeed but each day that goes by is one day closer to eternity.

Don't hold everything in. Or anything back.  You might not get tomorrow.  People you love may be taken away.  Your heart will break in ways that you still don't understand or comprehend how it is going to work for the good, but He says it will.  He doesn't lie.

Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.  Find your life long friends and feel safe.  Be you.  The you that was created to bring Glory to the Father alone.

Love,
28 year old you.