From: Rebecca St. James
To: Teenage Rebecca
Hi dear younger self . . . teenage Rebecca! 😄
I want to give you a little encouragement and wisdom that can help you navigate the upcoming years of your life. First, I want to say that you are a gift to others. The spirit God gave you, and how He made you, is a blessing to others.
It is not about performance or doing or accomplishing, but being in Him. You could sit in a room not doing or saying anything and still be a gift to a friend or family member because of the presence of Jesus alive and active in your spirit. Rest in His love for you.
I encourage you to be gentle and gracious with yourself, knowing that God calls us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. We can only love others and show grace to them to the level that we can show love and grace to ourselves. Take thoughts captive regularly and bring them into submission to Jesus, especially when those thoughts might be harsh or critical.
Something I have learned to say to myself more often in this season of life is there is grace for you. So very thankful for this truth!
May God bless you, young Bec. You are a girl who has a special destiny, and you are His beloved daughter. Live out the adventure to which He has called you.
You are here for such a time as this.
Rebecca
From: Ellie Holcomb
To: Teenage Ellie
Sweet girl,
I know there are days when you’re just tired of trying to measure up. You see a girl who’s not enough when you look in the mirror. I know there are nights when all you want to do is hide. Every time you look inside, you’re face-to-face with failure.
Please don’t forget to remember:
You are loved. Even on the days you’ve run the other way. Even on the days you’ve made a mountain of mistakes. Nothing will change God’s love for you.
You don’t have to look into the eyes of every guy you meet to see if you’re wanted. You’re already wanted, and not because you’re perfect or because of what you’ve accomplished. You are wanted and loved by God because you are His. You don’t think you’re worth that kind of grace, but if you just look toward His face, you’ll know it.
You’re searching for something that will stir your soul, for something that will make you feel less alone, but you know firsthand that all those efforts aren’t working. Your precious heart has been broken, and you’ve felt useless and discarded, unwanted, unworthy and unloved. But even in the wake of all that pain, you are seen and beloved. God knew before you ever took a breath that there would be days you would forget how beautiful He made you and how deeply He loves you.
He sees you. He chose you. You’re covered forever by His love. You’re a beloved daughter, and God is able to love you better than anyone will ever be able to.
So lift your eyes to the hills. Remember where your help comes from. Your help comes from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth. Maker of your precious, beautiful heart. He holds you in His everlasting arms, and He never slumbers or sleeps. Let His love heal, restore and renew you. When you’re wrung out—and there are times you will be—let His love fill you so full that all your mess and mistakes will be mixed up with all His love.
The Light of the World lives inside you. Shine on, sweet girl. You’ll never walk through anything alone.
Love,
Me (Ellie)
From: Valerie Shepard
To: Teenage Val
Val, take stock of your time, and listen to the whisper of the Holy Spirit in your heart, who is reminding you to make your studies a priority. Ask God to give you a heart that wants to please and glorify Him. He will truly help you if you are willing to humble yourself and seriously take His Word to heart.
You’re good at keeping a journal, and you ask your Father in heaven to help you, but that’s where it ends. You must begin and end the day with wanting to please Him and asking for His help throughout the day to get serious about studies.
Val, you have a whole lifetime ahead of you, so while you’re a teen, be serious about following Jesus. And be respectful to all teachers—you remember that time you threw a notebook at your geometry teacher because he dared you to? That was truly uncalled for, and although you made the class laugh, it did not help you to honor your teacher.
There is nothing wrong with fun, and you have had good friends to have fun with, but learn also to take the serious things seriously.
Love in Him,
An older and a wiser Val
A Letter to My Future Self
Help yourself stay the course by penning an encouraging note
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been a “chronicler,” and I have a crate full of colorful spiral notebooks in the attic to prove it. In fifth grade, I drafted the handbook for the Spicy Business Club, where my two best friends and I dished about the boys we liked and used secret code names for them.
In high school, I wrote about the weekend adventures I had with my friends from youth group. (We may or may not have crashed someone’s fancy dinner date before prom.) And our senior year of high school, I had everyone in my friend group make predictions about what our lives would be like 15 years later. (If you must know, Helen was voted “Most Likely to Be a Soccer Mom,” and I may have been voted “Most Likely to Be on the ‘Oprah Winfrey Show.’ ”) While those predictions were admittedly goofy, we had fun imagining our future lives.
Who is God calling you to be?
The year I graduated from college, my notebooks took on more meaning. I’d encountered the person of Jesus, and I wanted to live a life that pleased God and honored the way He had uniquely created me. Would I find a job using my creative gifts or serve folks on the world’s margins? Would I go to graduate school or dive right into full-time ministry? I love that I can return to those notebooks to see who I was in those moments and who I believed God was calling me to be.
Whether you’re 12 or 20, I encourage you to take the time to write a letter to your future self. Specifically, write it to the future you who will be a decade or two older than you are today. This is a great way to keep your life and faith on track as the years go by.
How your reflections can help
To make the letter your own, consider focusing on these topics:
- Write about who God has been in your life and who God is in your life today.
- Describe the way you want your faith to shape your life in the future. What core values are you committing yourself to? (For example: “Love God, love people” or “Share Jesus with the people around me.”)
- Notice and name the unique gifts, experiences and passions God has given you. Be specific. Offer those to God.
- Ask your parents, youth group leader or another trusted adult what qualities they see in you that are a delight to God. Then humbly include those in your letter.
- Ask God to lead you in the paths He has prepared for you, and commit to walking in that good way.
What unique experiences has God given me?
Who has God been in My life?
What unique gifts has God given me?
How do I want my faith to shape my life in the future?
What do My parents or youth leaders say about me?
What unique passions has God given me?
Who is God in my life today?
Where to safely keep your letter
After writing your letter, put it in a special place—a shiny box under your bed, the top shelf of your closet or the back of your underwear drawer. Then pull out your letter on a special day each year—such as New Year’s or your birthday—and reread it, praying for God to continue guiding your steps.
God made you unique in this enormous world and is inviting you to trust Him with your present and your future. This letter can remind you to always say yes to Jesus and the adventure He has planned for your life.
