January 27th, 2025
By: Gabi Pope
This last week we had the opportunity to attend a Children’s Leader retreat. I look forward to this event each year because it is where so many memories are made, and the takeaways from the sermons are so good! It is usually notes upon notes that I regularly look back upon throughout the year.
This year Rev. Doug Clay was one of the main speakers and he brought a challenge to all of the leaders in the room. He is currently writing a book titled “Advice to my Younger Self” and encouraged us all to write a bit of advice to our younger selves. With that being said, here is a bit of advice I would give myself, but also a bit of encouragement to others.
Looking back on my younger years, there are so many things I wish I could tell myself. If I had to narrow it down to one piece of advice, it would be this-trust God's timing, even when life is chaotic and makes zero sense. It’s easy to feel like you’re on your own, especially when things don’t go as planned, but God's hand is always at work, guiding us, even when we can’t see it.
The story of Joseph in the book of Genesis is a perfect reminder of this. As a young man, Joseph was given a dream that his brothers would one day bow down to him, but his journey to seeing that promise fulfilled was far from straightforward. In fact, it was filled with betrayal, slavery, and imprisonment. Imagine the confusion and desperation he must have felt, wondering why God had allowed such pain to enter his life.
Throughout all of Joseph’s struggles, there was one thing that remained consistent, God was with him. Even in the darkest moments, God was shaping Joseph’s character and preparing him for the moment when he would be elevated to power in Egypt to save many lives, including the very brothers who had betrayed him.
If I could go back and talk to my younger self, I’d tell myself to stop rushing through life, to stop striving to control every situation, and to trust that God's plan is always bigger than what I can see.
Like Joseph, you might find yourself in seasons of waiting or hardship, but God is never absent in those moments. His timing is perfect, and the trials you face today could be the very thing that equips you for tomorrow.
To my younger self, take a deep breath. Stop trying to figure everything out on your own. Trust that God is working behind the scenes, even when you can’t see it. Your dreams are safe with Him, and the journey, no matter how difficult, is part of His greater purpose for you.
This last week we had the opportunity to attend a Children’s Leader retreat. I look forward to this event each year because it is where so many memories are made, and the takeaways from the sermons are so good! It is usually notes upon notes that I regularly look back upon throughout the year.
This year Rev. Doug Clay was one of the main speakers and he brought a challenge to all of the leaders in the room. He is currently writing a book titled “Advice to my Younger Self” and encouraged us all to write a bit of advice to our younger selves. With that being said, here is a bit of advice I would give myself, but also a bit of encouragement to others.
Looking back on my younger years, there are so many things I wish I could tell myself. If I had to narrow it down to one piece of advice, it would be this-trust God's timing, even when life is chaotic and makes zero sense. It’s easy to feel like you’re on your own, especially when things don’t go as planned, but God's hand is always at work, guiding us, even when we can’t see it.
The story of Joseph in the book of Genesis is a perfect reminder of this. As a young man, Joseph was given a dream that his brothers would one day bow down to him, but his journey to seeing that promise fulfilled was far from straightforward. In fact, it was filled with betrayal, slavery, and imprisonment. Imagine the confusion and desperation he must have felt, wondering why God had allowed such pain to enter his life.
Throughout all of Joseph’s struggles, there was one thing that remained consistent, God was with him. Even in the darkest moments, God was shaping Joseph’s character and preparing him for the moment when he would be elevated to power in Egypt to save many lives, including the very brothers who had betrayed him.
If I could go back and talk to my younger self, I’d tell myself to stop rushing through life, to stop striving to control every situation, and to trust that God's plan is always bigger than what I can see.
Like Joseph, you might find yourself in seasons of waiting or hardship, but God is never absent in those moments. His timing is perfect, and the trials you face today could be the very thing that equips you for tomorrow.
To my younger self, take a deep breath. Stop trying to figure everything out on your own. Trust that God is working behind the scenes, even when you can’t see it. Your dreams are safe with Him, and the journey, no matter how difficult, is part of His greater purpose for you.
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