Dear Older Christian Me,

First off, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for not being a part of the status quo. Thank you for refusing instant gratification because you knew there was a more blessed life down the road worth waiting for. Thank you for walking by faith, and not by sight.

Living in today’s world as a Christian isn’t easy. It’s especially difficult, when you weren’t raised to read and breathe the Bible. I was raised to believe there was a God, but never knew you could actually have a relationship with that God. Deciding to seek Him after accepting the pull He has had on you throughout the past year, has been the most trying, difficult, and uncomfortable thing to have ever experienced. Learning the word of God in your mid-twenties and during the 21st century, is a constant battle between seeing what everyone else is doing, and choosing to go down a different road. A road that this not the easiest, but completely worth it.

Throughout this process of building that faith and relationship with Him, it has allowed you to be a better person for yourself, and a wise counselor for others. It has allowed you to see the power of prayer. Before you accepted Him as your savior, you were living a mediocre life. At the time, it seemed so great because when things were good, nothing could get in the way of your happiness. But what when things weren't so great, insecurity, low self-esteem, and loneliness started to creep in. Dealing with any heartache, sadness, or loss seemed unbearable. Now, because you keep Him at the center of it all, we are never alone.

We are surrounded by Godly people. We study His word with people who want to glorify Him as badly as we do. We are spreading His name, His stories, and His miracles to everyone we meet. We pray daily not only for ourselves, but for so many others. We are the most confident and secure, that we have ever been. Thank you for breaking the circle so that my kids can live a life truly knowing God.

Thank you God for guiding us along the path to You and never giving up on me. You knew I would come around eventually. Thank you for placing people in my life right when I needed them. All this glory goes to You, and I am so excited to see what else You have in store.

To anyone who will read this letter and want to take that leap of faith, I hope that they remember this. Being a Christian, a follower of God, isn’t easy. It takes effort, failures, struggles, setbacks, pain, and a lot of prayer, but I can promise you that you will never go through any of that alone. There are blessings that are given to you along the way, and truths that come to the surface when you abide in the Word of God, but there is also a comfort you feel when you pray, and are lead in the direction you should go. You will soon realize that no pain is too great, and no problem is too big. How amazing would you feel to know this? You can truly know in your heart that everything is going to be okay, because you are a daughter or son of the most powerful, most loving, and most gracious God. You have to take the step though. He’s been waiting for you with wide open arms.

Many thanks,

A grateful, younger lost soul that was once you.