Dear Younger Me is the name of a song by the group Mercy Me. I enjoy this song and listen to it often. Recently, I listened intently for the first time in a long time. These are the lyrics that jumped out at me:
Dear younger me
I cannot decide
Do I give some speech about how to get the most out of your life
Or do I go deep
And try to change
The choices that you’ll make cuz they’re choices that made me
Even though I love this crazy life
Sometimes I wish it was a smoother ride
Dear younger me, dear younger me
The singer wonders what he would tell himself if he could go back to meet his younger self. Would he warn himself of dangers so he could avoid them?
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
As I contemplated the words of the song, I thought over the trails of my life. Boy, would it be wonderful to avoid some of those difficulties. I would tell myself not to have three children so that I could prevent the heartache from the loss of my youngest child, William. I would hope to escape all those years of depression and sadness that still pop up from time to time. My life could be so much better if I could warn my younger self. The possibilities make me smile to myself.
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
After some time passes, I realize that all those hardships in my life made me who I am today. Without the loss of my son, I would not have developed the desire to help other children. Then my ministry to orphans would not exist. I would not write my book on the adventures on the mission field, and I would not blog. My heart longs to undo the death of my son, but that event changed me into a new person. God is making me into the person He wants me to be and using everything in my life to shape me.
Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6
The songwriter began to understand this idea also. In the final verse of the song, he explains it this way:
Every mountain every valley
Thru each heartache you will see
Every moment brings you closer
To who you were meant to be
Dear younger me, dear younger me
God does not produce our griefs, but He does use them to grow us into the person He needs. We have the choice to remain locked in the past with regret and anger over our circumstances. Or we can allow the problems of life to shape us and bring us closer to God.
[bctt tweet=”We can allow the problems of life to shape us and bring us closer to God.”]
Dear younger me, relax and trust God with everything. He will make all things whole in His time. Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
[bctt tweet=”Dear younger me, relax and trust God with everything.”]
Blessings,
Yvonne, Blogger, speaker, and author
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
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I wish I had made better choices when I was younger. But, God had a plan for me through all my choices whether good or bad. To my younger self I would say, “Pause, pray and remember He loves you.”
Me too Melissa. But thank goodness God is still faithful
I am sorry to hear about your son, Yvonne. I didn’t know that about you, but now that I know, it makes a lot of sense why you are who you are today and what you write about. That is the Lord’s way, to be sure. In His Kingdom, suffering is not in vain. Bless your heart.
Thank you Lisa. He would be 25 now 😊. God plans are always perfect.
What a beautiful post, Yvonne. I’m so sorry about the loss of your son. That is heartbreaking. But, I, too, believe God has the perfect plans for us. I never got to have kids of my own. When I feel sad about that, I stop and think about how much my stepkids needed me. I believe I could not have given them all the attention they needed if I had babies to care for. My work with my stepkids led to my upcoming book helping other blended families. Once again, God knew what was best. 🙂 Believing that helps me on this journey of life.
Amen. He does know best. Thanks
Thank you so much Yvonne (and Bill for forwarding it). This brought tears to my eyes. Hard to see or understand while in the storm but I trust in God. He brought me the both of you into my life.
Anyone who knows the both of you knows how big your hearts are and I am better for knowing both of you. 🙂
Thanks Lyly. We are praying for you to see and feel God throughout your trials. God bless.
Dear Yvonne, I remember reading about the loss of your precious son in your book. A mother’s deepest heartache. Thank you for sharing how God used your terrible loss and pain to bring about good things for His kingdom. God can bring healing from our ashes for His glory. May God continue to grow your faith and your wonderful ministry!
Thanks Melissa. Good reminder today on Ash Wednesday.
I wouldn’t wish my year of grief on anyone, but losing four loved ones in one calendar year resulted in a somewhat jaded but more authentic faith. I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child; my heart goes out to you. I love the music of Mercy Me; also Jason Grey’s “Not Right Now.” Thanks for this genuine, heartfelt blog!
Thank you Candice. Our grief and pain form us into the people we are now. I would not wish it on anyone but I can’t imagine who I would be without it.
This is such a good post reminding us of how many times we overlook God’s goodness in our lives. Thanks for great insights!
Thank you Ava. God is always good
Praising God this morning for this beautiful post and the inspiration your testimony has brought. Bless you, Christian sister.
Thank you Jessica. Our stories all matter
I often think I wouldn’t want to change the hard times, because I learned so much about God’s character during those days. Even though they were painful, I’m so thankful for how God can use all things for His glory!
Amen Emily.
Yvonne, I’m so very sorry for the loss of your son, but I’m truly inspired by your faith in God and how He’s used your hardships to make you who you are today. What a powerful post this is! Last night I had a moment with our daughter and it was like looking into the eyes of the younger me as I tried to explain things to help her avoid a lot of difficulties. And later I thought, I can pray and tell her my own stories, but only God knows what she needs to go through to become the person He wants her to be. So I will continue to pray for Him to help her every step of the way. Thank you so much for this post. Blessings to you and your wonderful ministries!
Thanks Joey. God uses all our stories to help those around is
You’re very welcome. And He sure does.
What a thought to ponder: what would I tell the younger me?
Love your honesty and the encouragement in this post!
Thank you Julie. God bless
Yvonne, this is powerful and beautiful. The Scriptures, the lyrics, and your thoughts all go so well together. I didn’t know you lost a child. I’m so sorry…that is very sad and tragic for anyone, much less us mommas.
Thanks Karen. I appreciate it. God is merciful in all His does.
What inspiring thoughts to see how God used such a tragedy in your life to bring about good for others. I, too, see how He used my difficult moments to bring me to understanding and ministry I have today. Thanks for reminding me to be more thankful for those times and His grace.
Thanks Beth. Give thanks in all circumstances. May the Lord bless you and your ministry
So, so true! All of those hard times were part of God’s good plan for our lives to refine us and to grow us. The things we’d like to eradicate are the things that made us who we are. Your verse choices to share were really uplifting in this context of advising our younger selves. Great post, Yvonne!
AND, the death of your son. I know it’s long past, but I offer my condolences. I know you still miss him, and I’m sad you had to suffer that loss.
Thank you. I appreciate it
Thanks Melinda. Refined in the furnace
I love this song! It always makes me stop and think. Sure, I wish I would have made different choices in my younger life, but God has a reason and a purpose for everything. 🙂
And God’s purposes are good. Thanks Michelle.
I had the privilege to hear this song in concert last spring. I love the message that God uses everything in our lives for His glory. We certainly cause detours and experience consequences, but we can’t derail God’s plans and He is faithful to complete His work!
He is so faithful to us. It is a great song. I hope to hear it live someday.
Yvonne, you’re so right. The challenges, problems, mistakes we walk through in our younger years truly do shape us into the people we are today. I’m thankful for God’s faithfulness and unchanging love!
Thank you Jeanne. Always good to remember how God shapes us. He is faithful.