If I Knew Then What I Know Now: Advice to My Younger Self

To Our Teenage Selves

• There are times when you won’t believe for yourself that you are smart, you’re beautiful and you’re made exactly how you’re supposed to be. Or maybe somebody else will tell you not to believe it. You have to go back to God’s truth about who you are.
• Memorize the Bible! The verses you hide in your heart will be an anchor for you through life’s storms.
• Your purity is more than just saving yourself sexually. When you think about God being pure, that means He’s whole. We are called to become more and more like Christ.
• Satan wants us to be isolated, especially in our teenage years. It’s so important for you to prioritize staying in community.
• You’re doing the right things, but your heart behind why you’re doing needs to be checked. God doesn’t just see what we DO, He also sees our motives.
• The Lord doesn’t waste ANY of our experiences.

To Our 20-Something-Year-Old Selves

• You never know where God will place you and why. Trust Him and trust the process!
• My paycheck does not define me. While work is important and it can be good, it has nothing to do with who I am.
• Marriage wasn’t made to make you happy, it was made to make you holy. Marriage is good, hard work.
• Our self-worth is not tied to perfection or performance. We will never be perfect and we WILL make mistakes. That’s why we need God‘s grace.
• Kids change everything, but they also bring so much blessing and beauty into our lives.

To Our 30-Something-Year-Old Selves

• Your life may feel full of dirty diapers and unfamiliar places. True friendships might feel hard to come by. But even through all this, God is working. You are made for where He has placed you.
• Saying “Yes” to things you’ve never done before can be a good thing! It can actually bring you closer to God than if you only did things according to how YOU think they should be.
• God can change your heart if you will be open to being obedient.
• Just chill out. You will find your people. You are seen by God. He knows your desires and your friends are coming.
• Sometimes where you THINK you’re going to be and what you think you’re going to be doing is not where God has placed you. But there’s purpose in where you are.

To Ourselves in Our Current Season

• The gray hair you have now, the weight you are, all the things you are thinking and worrying about in your 40s – just enjoy it! Wear the shorts. Put on the bathing suit. Embrace the gray hair. Because it’s good, and it’s all part of life.
• Are you still investing in your marriage? How are you building relationships with each of your kids as they get older? In every season, be sure you are prioritizing your relationships that matter most.
• Take the vacation with your spouse alone! Let someone else take the kids and trust that God will take care of them. You need time away together.
• Take a deep breath and try to enjoy the process of parenting – the growing and the changing. Recognize that the time with your kids is SHORT.
• It’s never too late to find your Kingdom work. And that might be different than your career and what you get paid for. Find ways to use what God has given you to bless and help other people.

Kirsten Watson