5 Things I would tell my 21 Years Old Self. Part 1.
I know right, why so specific with the age? Well, age 21 was kinda the age where I started a downward spiral which lasted for 4 years, that’s why. The age I felt I had gotten to a point that I thought I had to conform more to the world to be cool or to feel like I was a ‘Big Girl’.
This post was supposed to be a ‘listicle’(Google it! lol) but as I started writing I realized I just had too much to say. So its going to be a series. 5 posts for the 5 things Barbara would tell her 21 years old self.
Anyway before I talk too much here goes!
- Please Please and Please I take God beg you Barbs, keep your virginity, it would save you a lot of heartache and guilt!
I’m laughing as I type this because it’s just hilarious now, that I thought having sex with a guy guaranteed we were in a serious relationship and would get married eventually (Yep! I was one of those girls that thought this). Biggest joke of the century because I proceeded to find myself in ‘SITUATIONSHIPS’ for the next 4 years. If only I had known that I did not have to compromise my standards because I wanted to meet up to the world’s standards of relationships. That it was only God’s standard I should have been striving to live up to. That guarding my virginity would have pleased God so much because it meant that I honored His temple(my body as stated in 1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT). That keeping it would have allowed me to learn some guys’ true intentions early enough and help me avoid unnecessary heartache. That keeping it would have meant never having to be scared of getting pregnant or having an STI. Jeez! That keeping it would generally have saved me quite a lot of headaches really.
But even if my 21 years old self wouldn’t have listened to me (because she could be quite hard headed) I would tell her that for all those times she felt guilty that she displeased God, she shouldn’t have drawn away from Him but run to Him. He never judged her, He never condemned her, He always thought she was the most beautiful creature He created and He just wanted her to come to Him. He wanted her to look for validation in His word, in Him and not in a boyfriend, because He is her creator and no one can love her the way He can. That He is the only true source of happiness, that He was preparing a man that she wouldn’t have to compromise for, a man that would respect her and wait with her. That it is never too late to start over. I would tell her to be patient, wait on God and rest in His promises because He can never fail. That He is the greatest, sweetest lover she will ever know, that He will never break her heart. That she would find all she was looking for in a relationship in Him while she waited for her life partner.
I would tell her that it is better to be single and chasing God than to be in a purposeless ‘situation’ that added nothing to her. That she was fearfully and wonderfully created to be loved and cherished and not to ‘see how things go’ with a guy that did not know his worth let alone hers. I would tell her to put her trust in God to help her figure life out, she always tried to do stuff alone but if she could lean on God, she would be just fine. I would tell her all these and more and hopefully she would have listened or not. I guess we’ll never know. LOL. I can laugh about all this now because of 2 Corinthians 5:17(NLT) ‘This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun’. The word of God gave me a new life, confidence, strength, healing, purpose and love.
