The Day I Stopped Running

Dear (insert your name here),

I've been watching you for many years now as you have continued to chase after things of this world.  You are so tired yet do not realize that the very things you seek will never bring you true joy and contentment.  You figure that the more friends you have, the more parties you attend, the cooler the clothes you wear or the car you drive, the happier you will be. Yet I see you, day in and day out, wearing yourself out and compromising all you know to be true in your efforts to impress others and fill a void that only God can fill.

I was like you once, always on the go and often running with the wrong crowd because I was lonely.  I thought if I worked hard, bought stuff, and became like them that I would be happy.  But the exact opposite happened.  Because I compromised the godly values I had been taught and did things my own way and according to my time table, not God's, I suffered a lot of hurt and hurt a lot of people.  I was miserable because I knew that most of all I hurt God, who sent his son Jesus to die for the sins of people like me.

It took a sexual assault and an embarassing wake-up call from a stranger after a long night of drinking to realize that everything I had tried to fill that God-shaped void had failed.  With self-esteem so low it didn't even register, I became a suicide waiting to happen.  I couldn't look myself in the mirror without feeling sick.  What had I become -- what had I done to myself in the process of trying to fit into a world God never intended me to call my home?

When I hit rock bottom I knew that I had a choice to make -- either continue living a double life by being a good church girl on Sundays and lowering my standards so I would fit in with the world the rest of the week OR completely surrendering my life to the lordship of Jesus, who had died on the cross for my sins.  I had accepted his salvation as a teenager but drifted far from him during my college years and early twenties.  Could I ever recapture the joy of my salvation and receive his forgiveness? If I did choose to surrender myself to him, would he be enough?

The day I stopped running after things of this world and decided to run into the loving embrace of Jesus, everything changed.  He welcomed me back with open arms and has spent every day of the past thirty years fulfilling the promises of his Word to love me, fill me with peace, satisfy my deepest longings, provide for my every need, and restore to me the joy of my salvation.  He has been my strength, my guide, and my very best friend.  The journey with him has been difficult at times, but even in the adversities I have faced he has been faithful and right beside me every single minute. In the hard times he has revealed more of himself to me and taught me time and time again that his grace is sufficient for me.  In Jesus I have finally found my rest and true acceptance.  I have found the love I could never find in another human being.  I have found truth when others have lied to me. I have found true joy and contentment that no amount of money could ever buy.

If you are constantly on the go -- working, socializing, looking for fun no matter what the cost, I urge you to stop running!  Be still and know God.  He is there. He loves you and longs to fill you with the joy and peace this world will never give you.  No matter what you have done to try and fill that God-shaped void in your heart, he will forgive your sin if you will confess and turn from it.  As far as the east is from the west, he will remember your sin no more.  Stop running and start resting in him!

The Best Choice

Dear (insert your name here),

If there is one thing I have learned as a result of my own mistakes when I was your age, it is that God is infinitely more loving and patient with us than we will ever be with one another.  That is his divine nature.  It is not something I understand but something I accept by faith because I have experienced his love and forgiveness.

You have made a lot of mistakes in your young life on this planet, and so have I. Even in my fifties I make lots of poor choices and have to live with the consequences as a result.  But I have placed my trust in God and he helps me every day to make better choices than the day before.  He helps me stand back up when I fall down and gives me wisdom when I need help making decisions about what to do.  My life isn't easy but I have peace because I have given my heart to Jesus and given God permission to do whatever he wants to do with my life.  I am not perfect, but every day I walk a little closer with him and grow in confidence that he will fulfill his promise to take care of me.

Jesus loves you in spite of every bad choice you have made and every sin you have committed.  He loves you so much that he died for your sins so you could spend eternity with him (John 3:16).  Our sins require the death penalty, but Jesus took the nails and died on the cross in our place (Romans 6:23, 3:23-25).  He is the God of second chances and new beginnings, but we have to repent of (turn away from) our sins and follow him by living in obedience to his Word.

It's not too late to turn your life around and let God repair the broken pieces.  It's what he does best!  None of the bad things in your life are wasted because he promises to work all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

God has given us all free will and the ability to choose what we will do and whom we will follow.  You can choose to continue controlling your own destiny and living life on your own terms and hope that everything works out OK eventually.  Or, you can choose to turn away from the things you know are wrong and harmful, turn to his Word for guidance, and surrender your life to Jesus, knowing with confidence that he will work it all out according to his promises.

Life on this planet will never be easy, but I can promise you that it will be far better if you invite Jesus into the equation by asking him into your heart.  He will show you the way when you need direction, comfort and provide for you as no one else can, and replace the broken pieces of your life with his peace -- if you will choose to let him.  Please choose him!  I can assure you that it will be the best choice you ever make.

Praying for you,

Dee Dee

You Can't Fix Other People

There is a lot of talk about the drama, self-centeredness, and sense of entitlement that characterizes the teenagers of today.  As the parent of two teens, I am acutely aware of the emotional baggage and family dysfunction that many of their friends deal with every day.   My heart breaks for kids from broken homes or those who are left to fend for themselves because Mom and Dad are too caught up in their own work or the extracurricular activities of their children that personal love and attention get lost in the mix.  It is a recipe for emotional and social disaster, and a tendency I myself have to guard against in a world that become increasingly demanding of my own time and resources.

Kids just want to be loved and understood.  Sadly, many of them also want to fix what is broken in the lives of their friends.  In doing so they get caught in the crossfire as a result of taking on someone else's emotional baggage.  To them -- to you -- I want to say, "You can't fix other people."  Don't try.  Don't lose yourself trying to make things better for someone else.  Be wise.  Set boundaries.  Know when you're in over your head.  Most importantly, stop trying to be what God never intended -- the savior of your generation! 

There is only one Savior, only one who can fix the broken hearts and lives of your generation.  You can't; only He can.

Rather than try to fix what is wrong with your friends, let God fix what is wrong with you.  You aren't perfect either.  When you let God do his work in you and pray from a heart that is pure, things begin to change.  You change.  You begin to pray that your friends will see the change in you and begin to change themselves.

Life is hard enough without you taking on the weight of your friends' problems.  Let God do his job, in your life and in theirs.  If you really care about your friends, let God have his way in your life and stop trying to have your way in theirs.  Be a friend.  Set boundaries.  Give God his rightful place and he will give you peace.