the Lord has done great things!

I was asked by a good friend of mine to write a letter to her teenage daughter (who I also love dearly) that would tell her what Christ has done in my life and what I hope for her future in Christ. I thought I would share it with you all.

I don’t even know where to begin. Christ has not only impacted my life, He has changed my life forever! Growing up in a Christian home was such a blessing, but Christ was not real to me until later in my teenage years. Yes, I knew all the stuff—“talked the talk” and pretended to “walk the walk” but it was all a façade. It took five years of darkness, depression, hopelessness, loneliness, and desperation before I finally realized that there was a God who loved me for who I was and had a purpose for my life. Looking back, I would not change a thing. I would not give up a single minute of that pain that I went through because it helped me come to know the reality is that I have a Savior who loves me even when I am hurting. In the seven years since then, I have learned so much and continue to grow daily. Not to say that life has been perfect since then, because it surely has not been. Even though life is not perfect, God has a perfect plan for our lives. “’For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29:11) There are good days and bad days, but I know that the Lord has me in the palm of His hand and will never let me go. That is where trusting Him comes into play. Every day I have to let go of my selfish desires, and trust Him with my life. And I’m going to be honest—it’s not easy. We have to press on! “…Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14). We have to press past our failures and hurtful past. We have to press forward. We have to press toward the goal that God has placed before us.

My prayer for you is that you will come to know the awesome love of the Savior who knows you in your joy and in your pain. I pray that you will seek Him with all of your heart and desire to know Him more and more. I pray that in the hard times, and there will be many, that you will press on and know that you will be blessed for it. I encourage you to surround yourself with those who love the Lord and will encourage you in your walk with Christ. Fellowship and accountability with fellow believers is key in your walk with Christ. I also encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and a bold servant of Christ. Do not be afraid to be an outcast and follow the calling that you have been given. You will be blessed by serving the Lord.

There are so many other things I wish I could share with you. There is no way that I can sum up what God has done for me and how incredible He is in just one letter. That is where the Bible comes in! I pray that you will study His Word and make it your own. Apply it to your life and live by it. It is God’s gift to us.

Most of all, I pray that you will fall in love with our sweet, sweet Savior and realize that He loves you beyond what you can ever imagine. I am going to leave you with my life verse: “Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.” (Isaiah 26:8). I want you to have that same desire.