A letter from 5 years ago

I was at my parent's house a couple of weeks ago and did a massive cleaning of some nooks and crannies in my room. Among some of the other treasures that I found (I'm talking about Target gift cards, $150 dollars in cash, and obviously past use checks from high school graduation!), I found something that I value more now than I did 5 years ago. Kirby wrote me a letter a few days before I graduated from high school as something as a charge before I left for college. She spoke such words of wisdom into my life then and has continued to do so as I have grown up. With several friends that I know that are graduating high school, college, or just living life--read this letter. I had accepted Christ several years before I graduated, but had really reached a point in my life as a Christian my senior year in high school that I started to grow in a whole new way. Kirby was critical in my spiritual growth and really shepherded me through more than she knows. Here is the letter that she wrote me on May 12, 2005: 

To my little Burger, 

You are graduating! Burger, this is just so crazy to me that you will be beginning your time at college...but I am beyond excited for you! When I graduated, Katie gave me a letter that she had written for me on her high school graduation day. Though procrastination is to blame for me not writing to you until now, I am really very glad I've waited until now. The person I was three years ago was young, naive, and immature, God has shown me more than I can imagine in these past three years. I am still very young, naive, and immature but the difference is that now I am relying on God to speak to you, not trying to bear that burden of passing along wisdom to you. Now I am praying to God that he speaks through me in this letter, that I can pass along some wisdom to you. I pray that what I write to you is just what you need to know for starting, fully experiencing, and finishing your time at college. 

If I can tell you one think you need to know to get through ANYTHING in life, know that God is your provider, your strength, you confidence, your hope your EVERYTHING. GOD IS INFINITE. That is far beyond our comprehension and this is why God is God and we are human. We are so much smaller than our Father. Our minds are literally nothing compared to his. We are His sheep, lost until we hear His voice. Though all humans are so tiny, God still cares for you personally. He is a very personal God. Every single thing you experience is because God loves you. Know that. When I say "know" something, I don't mean that you should simply have that fact in your head, I mean you have to believe it. You have to grasp it with every bit of your existence. All your thoughts, your actions, your words...everything. That means when you are hurt, when you are confused, when you don't know what to do, when you don't understand, when you feel alone, when you have no energy and don't know how to make it through the next day KNOW above everything else that God is doing everything in your life out of love. He has a plan for you , a plan that is so amazing, so full of adventure, so exciting, that no human could come close to imagining anything quite so wonderful. You can't know His plan for you, because when we don't know we are forced to trust in our Father. My all-time favorite verse that I come back to again and again ins this; "Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6 It goes on to say in verse 7 that we should not be wise in our own eyes. That means, what we feel is the right thing to do is not always right. The right things to do is always to follow God. Even if it makes no logical sense at all, His plans are far beyond our comprehension. We can't expect to understand him. But we can expect for God to show us the way to go. He promises that to us in Isaiah 30:21 when he said, "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying 'This is the way; walk in it.'" The Bible is our map for life. God did not promise to lead us and then us with nothing. He gave us the Bible and the Holy spirit. You will come to let the Holy Spirit move in you in all you do, to help you make the right decisions. Pray for it and God will show you the way. If you desire what he desires for you, ask and it will be given to you. If you desire something with impure motives, ask God that your heart be fully set on him. God really does have all the answers, and that is all you need to know. God cannot be your top priority, he must be your one priority. He will show you what else matters, what you need to be involved in, what words to say, what paths to follow, and even the little things like what time is wise to go to bed each night. Pray to him for everything, all throughout the day. Never stop talking to God. 

God's glory is amazing, and I know that no letter can fully express that to you. Just know that God's greatness is far beyond us, yet he still cares for us through we don't deserve it. Confess your sings to him and ask forgiveness, ask to be more like Christ and praise God for all of the blessings he has given you. There is so much we take for granted, so remember to take time to appreciate your surroundings. If you feel you don't have time, then then know that the petty things you are concerned about can be overcome by God. The grades you worry about making are based on standards made by man, and not by God. What matters is following God and doing what he calls you to do. It does not matter what any person thinks--friends, family, teachers, enemies. It doesn't matter because they are human and to be concerned with what they think is sinful because it puts priority of humans above God. I am so proud of you, Kristin, because you have shown me already that you are seeking to make God your one and only priority. YOur decisions to not march this summer was God-ordained and I am so grateful that you are seeking Him in making decisions. You will not regret it. With God, there are no regrets. He will always show you the way...never ever allow yourself to doubt God and his greatness. I love you always, more than I can express. I am so proud of you, my little sister, and all that you have accomplished. I know that if you continue listening to God, you will acheieve great things, beyond anything you can plan right now. You are an amazing creation of God and I praise Him for blessing me with you. 

I love you always, more than you know, 

Kirby