To my daughter-
Daily I watch you grow. Explore. Learn. Cry. Laugh. Give up. Try. Try harder. Dream. Fight. Laugh more.
Daily I wonder what I can say to inspire you, encourage you, or maybe just impart some wisdom. I would love to put you in a bubble and protect you from so much hurt, but reality is I can't do that. CPS might come looking for me. So I do what I know best. Write you a letter.
I wonder if you will listen or will this just be a dumb mom moment but I wish someone had cared enough to share some wisdom with me when I was growing up. I would love for you to not walk in the heartaches I had walked in. I would love for you to be able to just know some things.
Some of this wisdom I am just learning and it may not be perfect or right but again I am learning. The best thing for your heart and mind is always be willing to learn, to change and to grow!
So baby girl here is part one.
Pursue only Jesus
Please pursue Him and everything else will fall into place. I am just now figuring this out to be absolutely true. I tend to pursue friendships and ministries and jobs and etc etc to only find that it is not what I was suppose to pursue. People fail. Jobs fail. Ministries fail. They will let you down Almost EVERYTIME, EXCEPT when you pursue Jesus and HE places you where he wants you. He will give you the right friend. He will place you in the right job. He will set you in the calling and gifting that he wants you in. Pursue only Him.
Don't love what everyone else loves.
Many times you will be able to just know that what everyone loves is not okay, and yet because everyone else loves it you will want to change your mind and love it too. Baby girl be brave and courageous! Stand on what He whisper to you. Do not be of this world. It is OKAY to be different. To think outside the box! Think and pray over it first. So many things seem good and yet are not. Some people seem good yet are not. You may begin to think there is something wrong with you because you don't love what everyone else loves, check your spirit and listen to what He says. I have at most times found seperating myself from that thing or person truly has been the best thing and the right thing. He will never lead you wrong!
All relationships take two (actually 3).
Whether it is a friendship or boy relationship it takes two people to have a real relationship; Well it takes three (God should be in every relationship you are in. Period.) Okay He will be in it- but you and the other person- you should know some same it takes time to have a relationship. Some say it takes work to have a relationship. . . After many years and being hurt over and over again I believe it takes two. Each person sacrificing. Each person pursuing. Each person treating the other the way they way to be treated. Each person being open, real and willing. Each person putting in the time and work. If you have a relationship that is hard or not working out. Pray about it. Ask Him to show you the true problem. It may be that only one person is participating in the relationship.Which sometimes there may be a season that this may happen- you lifting a person up or them lifting you up, however recognize when it seems to be unhealthy. Deem yourself worthy of friends! You are worthy of love, time, encouragement and you are awesome!
Be yourself.
Baby girl don't try to change your self in any shape or form. Embrace who God made you to be! Once someone wrote about how God made us and then broke the mold and threw it away! Meaning there is no one else like you. You are unique and a true masterpiece. Don't try to fit society's cookie cutter mold. Wear what you like, not what everyone else is wearing (unless you truly like what everyone else is wearing.) Listen to the music that makes your inner self dance and sing. Read books that you want to read. Follow your heart and your brain. God made you. Not the the church. Not the school. Not me. No one knows your inner most thoughts except Him! Be lovely and sweet. Listen and obey. But always be yourself. Don't apologize for being real and don't ever be fake! Don't compare yourself to others! You can't compare to someone . . . ever. Be real and watch how your light shines for others to follow! I believe when you be yourself you allow Him to woo others into becoming themselves.
Love others but guard your heart .
Store up his words in your heart. Have boundaries. But love others. Learn when to receive what others say and when to not. They may mean the best for you and love you, however what they say may not be from God. Listen to him above anyone else. We tend to get into a habit of listening to others before we listen to Him. Listen to Him first. We tend to care more what others say or do then what He says! See many people mean good, and want to fix what is wrong- but we can't fix people. Only God can! Jesus loves you just the way you are! Does that mean we should not work on things that need to be changed? NO! However, when God wants healing, or change, or to adjust your preception; HE will do it. He will show is what needs to be worked on and in his timing and his sweet way you will be changed from the inside out. Some others may never see the change in you not because you haven't changed. But because some people never truly really see your heart. Many times people who love you will label you or decide that this or that is "wrong"; when that is not their place. Keep that in mind for yourself too, missy! You may think you are being honest or saying or doing something out of love for that person BUT if He is not telling you to say it or directing you to do something- then DO NOT! Just love the person! In all my years- the people who just loved me just the way I was FIRST, before they started to tweak me- were the ones GOD used to actually help me or change things in my life that He wanted changed. I could receive their words better when I knew they were truly only after my heart.
Baby girl these are just my thoughts. I love you! Let God speak to your heart! Read this and do what He says. Part two coming soon.