Dear Younger Me

I think I have lamented in the past few posts that life is crazy right now. I steal little chances at peace and refreshment anytime I can. Yesterday, it came in a trip to Paris.


Thanks to the wonders of modern technology and a little SiriusXM subscription, I can listen to my Sirius XM in the work car. So, I tuned in my FM modulator on my hands free and viola! Now, to sit back and see what God was going to bless me with.


And the song, Dear Younger Me came on. I had to laugh.


Let me share the lyrics with you.

Dear younger me
Where do I start
If I could tell you everything that I have learned so far
Then you could be
One step ahead
Of all the painful memories still running thru my head
I wonder how much different things would be
Dear younger me,

Dear younger me
I cannot decide
Do I give some speech about how to get the most out of your life
Or do I go deep
And try to change
The choices that you’ll make cuz they’re choices that made me
Even though I love this crazy life
Sometimes I wish it was a smoother ride
Dear younger me, dear younger me

If I knew then what I know now
Condemnation would’ve had no power
My joy my pain would’ve never been my worth
If I knew then what I know now
Would’ve not been hard to figure out
What I would’ve changed if I had heard

Dear younger me
It’s not your fault
You were never meant to carry this beyond the cross
Dear younger me

You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed

Every mountain every valley
Thru each heartache you will see
Every moment brings you closer
To who you were meant to be
Dear younger me, dear younger me

You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed

You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed

You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed

I was reminded through this song that I may not have always lived exactly as He wanted me to, but that everything I went though and everything I have done, have shaped me into who He wants me to be today.


I am reminded of a couple different verses, Isaiah 64:8 says, "Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand". and then Romans 9:21 says. "Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use."


I was saved when I was 13, there were times, as I have mentioned in past posts, that living for the Lord just wasn't at the top of my list. I can seriously see me being formed into this beautiful vase and then it just all folding in, and instead of throwing that lump of clay in the corner, Jesus says, "nope, we'll do it again, I will never give up on you!". I can think back to a lot of times that happened, and yet, God gave me one more chance, and He will always be giving me one more chance, He'll never give up on me.


And today, I can truly say, I love my life here on earth, but I know it pales in comparison to what our Heavenly Father has laid up for us in Heaven.


And this is not something that is in my past just because I am trying harder to live for Him. I still mess up and we still have to get me back on that potter's wheel and start over, but the thing is, He will never give up on me, even when I am ready to give up on myself


So, I am passing this on to anyone who needs this today, because you know as well as I do, He extends this grace to every one who calls on His name. There is no such thing as, "I've been too bad" or "He has already given me more chances than I deserve". None of us deserve a good life, but God's Grace covers all our sins and gives us an opportunity to have that good life. The older I get, the more I realize that a good life has so much more to do with WHO you have in your life, and how  you are spending your time here than WHAT you have in your life.


At the same time, I do have to remember that my past has helped shaped me to what I am today, just like today is helping to shape me into who I will be tomorrow. And by the grace of God, hopefully, I will be better tomorrow than I was yesterday.


So, I leave you with Dear Younger Me, by Mercy Me.

Don't ever let anyone tell you that you are too far gone for God to lift up. Just take what you have learned and start using that very thing to the Glory of God.


Happy Saturday!