Hey Younger Self,

I know you won’t get this in time.  That’s too bad.  It would’ve saved you tremendously, and how I wish that for you!

I’ve learned a TREASURED nugget of wisdom along this journey tens years down the road, one that has the power to change your life.  Indeed, it will change yours, radically.  But you’ll learn these lessons through experience, and as they say — experience is a cruel (but effective!) teacher.

Oh precious, stubborn girl.

Sit still for a moment.  There’s something you need to learn.  Breathe deep.  Here goes.

The truth will set you free! 

Profound huh?

O, not what you were expecting?  It seems trite, minor, not worth your time?  I know.  I remember that feisty know-it-all attitude you’re carrying with you.  It’s part of your spunk, your charm.  But it doesn’t always serve you well.

You’ll soon learn that the time you failed to invest in this nugget of advice would’ve saved you years of backtracking in the wilderness of life.  Years of stumbling in the darkness, in the mess you (halfway) created.

The truth will set you free.  No — not YOUR version of the truth (wouldn’t that be nice?!), but one universal truth system that, when you begin to employ it, will result in the best imaginable outcome for your life.

So why are you running from it, headlong in the opposite direction?  Because you’re convinced that these fairytales you cling to hold the key to your destiny.  But that, my young friend, is a lie! 

There’s a great quote you haven’t yet heard.  It says, Ignoring the rules doesn’t change the rules.

Life has rules, laws of nature and laws of a higher dimension.  You’ve broken many; you don’t need me to tell you this.  The thing with rules is, there are two sides: the “benefits” when you follow them.  And the fallout when you rebel.

You’ll choose poorly.

Deep-down you know that only one truth can exist at any given time.  Gravity can’t simultaneously govern the earth and yet not.  It either does or it doesn’t — and your recent bridge jumping adventures convince you to respect this rule.

Likewise, you can’t illegally ‘borrow’ a parking space, then rant and rave to a policeman when your car’s burglarized that very night (which, you’ll soon discover, is a trick you’ll pull!).  The truth is that theft is always wrong.  You don’t get a free pass to supercede this law whenever it benefits you.  You’ll agree with me when this hits close to home.

Luckily you don’t get caught for illegal parking (or underage drinking, driving WHILE drinking, or your other soon-to-be antics).  You’ll ‘get away with it’, or so you think.  You have much to learn.  I so wish you’d heed this letter, written in your own handwriting.  Are you that full of youthful arrogance that you believe you have nothing to learn from others… even yourself, and those who have gone before you?

Consequences ensue when you ignore hard-and-fast rules!  I know you ‘know’ that, but do you believe it?  Because you act as if laws are suspended for you.  Sweet girl, whether you wanna swallow this pill or not, the fact is that Truth will hunt you down and haunt you til you acknowledge it.  The more you run, the faster it pursues.  It breathes down your neck.  You’ll learn this lesson in the hardest way.  It will, indeed, cost you five years of your peace and well-being as you elude reality, chasing fantasies.

I’m not painting a pretty picture, I know.  But you need to grasp this sooner than later — that there’s no such thing as ‘getting away with it’. 

For many years now, you’ve wanted to live life your way.  You didn’t want an invisible Higher Being dictating the rules.  So you called the shots.  Yes, you’ve broken many rules, and up until this point they haven’t amounted to more than a slap on the wrist 🙂  Sure, you were grounded a third of your junior year.  True, he broke your heart.  And yes, you got sick those nights after drinking too much.

Here’s what you can’t see yet, Miss Sweet Eighteen.  You think your choices will bring you freedom … peace … happiness!  You still believe that taking whatever you want and bucking all the rules (or the ones that stirred your curiosity) will satisfy you.

Well, I have good news and bad news.

You are finding happiness.  Euphoria!  You’ve ‘escaped’ home and all those oppressive rules and are doing whatever you want!  No one, no authority, no parent, no religion can blow the whistle and rain on your parade.  You’re living carefree and riding the ride of life.  You’re partying, dating (a lot!), staying up all night with friends, frat guys and sorority girls.  You’ve met tons of people and dabbled in various things.  You’re having FUN!

This life has everything you think you need.  You’re calling the shots.  ‘You’ are in control.  Yes, sweet freedom!

Or so you think.  But you’ve been duped, dear girl.  They’re gonna make a fool outta you, and you’ll let them.

Here’s what you can’t see yet.

Not too far into this joyride, life will feel funny.  You’ll become disoriented.  You’ll lose yourself, the confident girl who believed in herself and rose above challenges.

Your fun-loving life and poor decisions will catch up with you.  Deep-down you’ve known they would eventually, you just didn’t realize how soon.  Nor to what extent.  You don’t wanna believe what others have told you will happen.

You’ve been reckless — with your life and theirs.  You’ve been irresponsible — with your body and others.  You’ve broken hearts, yours and his.

And girl, I have to let you know this.  You’ll pay for it.  Oh man will you pay.

Is it worth it?

I can’t describe to you the unraveling of the “FUN LIFE” — living for friends, guys, laughs, and a good time.  You don’t yet understand cynics, pessimists, or naysayers.  In your eyes, they clearly need to lighten up, see more of the world, taste what you’ve tasted (the good life!), and mingle with who you’ve mingled with.  It’s not long now, young girl, til you’ll understand all-too-well the bitter taste they have in their mouths.

Jake English – your future pastor, who’ll encourage you as you’re leaving your destructive lifestyle – will say the most memorable quote one night, one you won’t forget a decade later: Sin will take you further than you wanna go, cost you more than you wanna pay, and keep you longer than you wanna stay. 

How true his words will prove in your life.

I wish you wouldn’t walk the path you’ll travel.  But I know your stubborn human nature wants to ‘taste and see it all!’  You don’t take anyone’s word for it.  Who are we kidding?

YOU HAVE TO LEARN THE HARD WAY.  You’ll have plenty of warnings, believe me.  But I wonder — if Curiosity kills cats (with nine lives!) — how could you so easily believe it wouldn’t kill you, too?  Why can’t you walk away before the pain catches up with you?

You don’t believe that the world will chew you up and spit you out.  You’ll learn once it’s too late.  Until then, you’ll freely deceive and manipulate your way to getting what you want.  But your shadyness will catch up with you — more quickly than you can imagine.

Rule #1: Truth Always Wins.  Every time.  So stay on the side of truth, will you?

Don’t buy the lie that you somehow trump the rules, that they don’t apply to you.  The only thing that stands the test of time is Truth — reality — no matter how hard you fight and beat and rail against it.

Seek the truth, not your own way of living life.  It will guard everything you treasure in the sweetest ways!  It will save you years of darkness and brokenness.

But I know you too well, girl.  You won’t, not til you come undone.

So when your life shatters before your eyes, know that your foolishness won’t kill you but it will cost you — immeasurably.  You’ll eventually grow stronger for what you experience.  And when you’ve learned your lesson, do this: Warn those teetering on the edge of the cliff you’re going over.  Tell them what you’ve learned, that truth is their best friend.  Tell them to cling to it as if their life depends on it.

Because it does.

xoxox Summer