Dear Me
Watching Good Morning America with my wife this morning I saw a new book titled “Dear Me.” The author or organizer of the book had famous people write a letter to their sixteen year old self. Some of the celebrities were recorded reading their letters; I was amazed.
I started thinking about what I would write to my sixteen year old self. I thought it would be easy since I have been doing youth ministry and counseling with teenagers since my early twenties. My goal has always been to help young people make it through life with fewer scars than I had. However, the letter was more difficult than I first thought. Nevertheless, here it is:
Dear Johnny:
Stop worrying about what everyone else thinks about you and just be you! You won’t find yourself on the pole vaulting runway or in the choir at church. Both will be a lot of fun for you, but you need to find your own path and stop trying to imitate other people.
You are correct in your thinking that religion is overrated and there is something very wrong with the legalism of the church. Sad thing is that this has been a problem from the very beginning and there are books written over 100 years ago that talk about the same problems the church is experiencing in 1984 and in 2011.
Start your ministry now! Don’t wait for some time in the future, and don’t bother asking anyone’s permission but God’s! Just look as far as your arms can reach and find people who are hurting. Use your freedom in Christ to put your talents to work as you help them.
You can’t fix anyone else. You can only increase the odds of success in relationships; other people have their own choices to make. Be willing to let people go that aren’t following your path! You eventually have to leave some people behind. It doesn’t make them bad people, just people on a different path than you. Trying to walk two roads only leads to a lot of back tracking; so just walk yours.
Take calculated risks. Think through your decisions, but not too much. If they aren’t against God’s word and you want to do it, go for it! Be willing for God to close doors. And don’t worry about failing. It’s just a normal step on the way to great success. Everyone fails; they just pretend they don’t by highlighting their limited successes.
Success has nothing to do with popularity or notoriety; it is using the gifts God gave you in the freedom he provides you to minister to as many people as you can while going on the ride of your life!
Enjoy the portion of your “life’s ride” today, and everyday; don’t look too far ahead or you will miss the fun of today. Have fun, run your race and never stop learning about your heavenly father. The more you learn about Him, the more you will discover about yourself!
I started thinking about what I would write to my sixteen year old self. I thought it would be easy since I have been doing youth ministry and counseling with teenagers since my early twenties. My goal has always been to help young people make it through life with fewer scars than I had. However, the letter was more difficult than I first thought. Nevertheless, here it is:
Dear Johnny:
Stop worrying about what everyone else thinks about you and just be you! You won’t find yourself on the pole vaulting runway or in the choir at church. Both will be a lot of fun for you, but you need to find your own path and stop trying to imitate other people.
You are correct in your thinking that religion is overrated and there is something very wrong with the legalism of the church. Sad thing is that this has been a problem from the very beginning and there are books written over 100 years ago that talk about the same problems the church is experiencing in 1984 and in 2011.
Start your ministry now! Don’t wait for some time in the future, and don’t bother asking anyone’s permission but God’s! Just look as far as your arms can reach and find people who are hurting. Use your freedom in Christ to put your talents to work as you help them.
You can’t fix anyone else. You can only increase the odds of success in relationships; other people have their own choices to make. Be willing to let people go that aren’t following your path! You eventually have to leave some people behind. It doesn’t make them bad people, just people on a different path than you. Trying to walk two roads only leads to a lot of back tracking; so just walk yours.
Take calculated risks. Think through your decisions, but not too much. If they aren’t against God’s word and you want to do it, go for it! Be willing for God to close doors. And don’t worry about failing. It’s just a normal step on the way to great success. Everyone fails; they just pretend they don’t by highlighting their limited successes.
Success has nothing to do with popularity or notoriety; it is using the gifts God gave you in the freedom he provides you to minister to as many people as you can while going on the ride of your life!
Enjoy the portion of your “life’s ride” today, and everyday; don’t look too far ahead or you will miss the fun of today. Have fun, run your race and never stop learning about your heavenly father. The more you learn about Him, the more you will discover about yourself!
One more thing… pump the breaks on that rainy day in June as the lady 100 feet in front of you stops in the middle of the road putting on her lipstick; slamming on your brakes will only make you slide into her!
And for the rest of you, I am curious: what would you tell your sixteen year old self? Why don’t you write it down and share it with your own children or the youth within the reach of your arms?
posted by Johnny Walker at 6:48 PM
0 comments
