My Dearest Self~THROWBACK

Cue the flashbacks, Sisters! It’s THROWBACK THURSDAY!—aka the perfect excuse to raid your photo albums and memory banks.

My dearest Twenty-Two-Year-Old Self,

That year – oh, that year of heartbreak. It felt like the end of the world, didn't it? Like the very fabric of your existence had been ripped apart. I'm writing to you now, from a vantage point seventy five plus years down the road, to tell you that you were right to feel it all so deeply. That pain, that raw, agonizing heartbreak, was real. And it was a defining moment, yes, but not in the way you imagined.

You felt lost, adrift in a sea of uncertainty. Your carefully crafted plans, the future you envisioned, seemed to crumble before your very eyes. The looming prospect of graduation, of your peers pairing off, of a future that felt tragically solitary – it was overwhelming. I understand. Believe me, I do. The dissolution of your engagement presented an opportunity for new resolve. The mix of emotions presented themselves with a determination to emerge stronger and wiser.

But here’s the truth, a truth that took a lifetime to fully grasp: the heartbreak, the shattered dreams, the loneliness – these weren't failures. They were crucibles, forging you into something stronger, more resilient, more deeply connected to something far greater than yourself.

Remember those splintered fragments you spoke of? The trust in God you sought amidst the senselessness? That unwavering faith, that quiet seeking, was the most important thing you did that year. It was the seed that blossomed into a profound and abiding relationship with Him. It wasn't always easy. There were times you doubted, times you questioned His presence, His plan. Those moments of doubt weren’t signs of weakness; they were invitations to delve deeper, to search the Scriptures, to engage in a life-long conversation with your Creator.

The love you craved, the earthly connections you yearned for – they eventually came, but not in the form you anticipated. God's love, however, proved to be far more enduring, far more fulfilling. It's a love that transcends earthly relationships, a love that sustains you through every trial, every heartbreak, every season of doubt.

So, my dear twenty-two-year-old self, hold onto that faith. Embrace the lessons learned in the crucible of your heartbreak. Know that the seemingly insurmountable challenges you face are but stepping stones on a path leading to a richer, more meaningful life. The treasures you discover – the unwavering faith, the deepening relationship with God, the understanding of His unfailing love – these are far more valuable than anything the world can offer.

Remember Job 42:5: "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee." That’s the journey you are embarking on. And it’s a beautiful one.

Psalm 42:8 By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.

With unwavering affection and love,

Your Seventy-five-Year-Plus~Old Self

Rebecca Joy