Blog-tember Challenge Prompt: Write a letter to sixteen-year-old you.
Dear 16-year-old Angela,
You’d be driving by now and loving it. It has given you a sense of freedom you’ve never had before, a freedom you have always desperately wanted. You see, we have wanderlust. We have an itch to see the world around us. To be unburdened with what other people want from us and find our place in the world. Being able to drive gives you access to places you’ve never been. It is exhilarating, but it is not freedom.
Freedom, dear self, is found in Christ alone.
I know you’ve heard that. I know you know it. But I’m writing this letter to remind you to pay attention.
You will be driving A LOT. You will drive yourself around. You will drive your friends and siblings around. You will even drive kids in the ministry to and from VBS. Your car will be used by God to help other people and it will be rewarding.
But even that is not freedom.
You will get into accidents. Do not be afraid. Be careful and maybe those accidents can be avoided. If not, know that God is with you. You will see His hand at work in those moments of fear and confusion.
He is always going to be there for you. I want you to know that. I want you to hold onto that. Hold onto your faith. Keep seeking God above all else. If everything falls away, stay in the arms of Jesus.
Freedom needs to be fought for, and you have a battle coming ahead. When I fought it, I lost. I was trapped. I tried to find freedom in driving to explore different places. I tried to find freedom in traveling with friends. I tried to find freedom is living by my own rules and schedule. I found happiness for a moment, and then it was gone. I was back in that soul-prison that kept me in chains.
The road to rebuild my life was hard, and freedom – true freedom – took forever to attain. With this letter, I hope you will be wiser. Freedom is found in Jesus.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)
And the Spirit of the Lord is in you. You are free because of God. You will find freedom in Him. Freedom is not about answering our wanderlust. It is about our hearts. When God gives us freedom, it is not simply freedom from condemnation and eternal death. He gives us freedom in the form of peace, joy, and hope.
Remember that as you drive around.
Sincerely,
Older You
