For the past 25 years of my life, God
has been so good to me. I look at each year, each trial and blessing, and
through both, have been incredibly thankful for all. I have learned so much,
and those lessons have not come cheaply.
This year, my 24th, has been
a complete rollercoaster. Friends, many of you have seen me through some wild
times; there has been rejection, loss of dreams, beautiful and hard ministry,
new opportunities, travel, questioning, health issues, spiritual issues, and so
much more. My life has been filled to the brim, rich in every way; the lows
have been overwhelmingly dark and the highs have been a radiantly bright.
25 Things
I’ve Learned in 25 Years
(in no
particular order)
1. Drawing near to Jesus is just as important in the joys as it is in the trials.
2. Learn to be still and let the Lord
fight for you sometimes; this life is not meant to be lived under your control,
but the control of the Almighty. Accept this and life gets a tad bit easier.
3. Sometimes the greatest Friday nights
are spent on the couch. Cue the candles, comfy blankets, popcorn, and mildly
inappropriate shows (The Mindy Project? Marry Me? New Girl? YES, ALL OF THEM,
YES.).
4. Don't be afraid of the hard things.
5. Sometimes it’s okay to break the
budget on a Target spree (those dollar bins and Cartwheel and Shopkick and for
the love, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING ON SALE).
6. Laugh at yourself. Literally, laugh
at yourself in moments of stupidity, embarrassment, and failure. If you take
yourself too seriously, you will end up missing some of the greatest moments of
life.
7. Striving to appear perfect is a waste
of time. Christ didn’t die for your perfection; He died for your hot mess of a
life.
8. Don’t be ashamed of your past, your
family, the skeletons in your closet.
Everyone has their thing, so don’t be insecure about your thing.
9. God is for you, not against you. Emotions
tell you differently, cling to truth.
10. Saying no is okay. Learning to say
no to good things gives you the ability to say yes to the great things.
11. Anxiety is a real thing.
12. Singleness is just as sanctifying as
marriage.
13. The best way to kill a spider is
with hairspray (#singlegirlwoes [see above]).
14. There is such a thing as too much
Pinterest. Stop comparing and striving and live your life.
15. Sometimes being between a rock and a
hard place means you’re between a good thing and a godly thing. Follow the
godly thing, always.
16. There is something powerful about
calling your mom and hearing her say that you are going to be okay. Being an
adult is hard, and to have someone who knows you deeply tell you that you are
going to make it? Soothes the soul like WOAH.
17. Don’t underestimate the power of a
solo dance party.
18. You are not the friends you have,
the medicine you take, the career you pursue, the man you marry, how well you
fit into your jeans… You are found in Christ. Know that, believe that.
19. Take yourself on a date. Drive to
the beach, go see a movie, eat lunch at your favorite café, splurge on a frilly
coffee or a new dress.
20. The best way to grow in the Lord is
on your knees.
21. Social media is a highlight reel. Real life is messy and
gritty and wild and unfiltered. Live in that
place.
22. Sometimes, the only accurate, valid
response to life is a cuss word. (I am a sinner, obvi.)
23. A mentor can be the greatest, wisest
choice you can make for yourself. Find someone who encourages you, challenges
you, speaks truth into you, and texts you eCards and emojis and takes care of
you when you have surgery and freak out over WebMD articles.
24. Prioritize rest.
25. Your high school crush is probably
just as dreamy as he was in high school. At least, mine is…
What are some of the greatest lessons
you have learned in your short time on earth?
Are you a fan of the solo dance party,
and if not, WHY?
No comments:
Post a Comment