Sunday, January 3, 2016

Letters to My Daughters- A Mixed Up Life

I have had it in mind from the time my oldest daughter, Adelae, was born to write her letters throughout her life. Now that I have three daughters this desire has only increased. My hope is to write my thoughts and wisdom now, rather than in reaction to events later in life.  My thought in publishing these letters is that perhaps someone else's daughter my gain from the simple wisdom I hope to impart.

My Beautiful Daughters,

The purpose of my letters to you is that I may pass along the wisdom I have gained. You are young now, but wisdom is timeless. My desire is that I can begin compiling a stack of letters for your future. Throughout your lives the world will overwhelm you with an array of ideals. Most will be tantalizing at best, but some will yield true promise. My hope is that you will cling to wisdom and discernment, for they are your compass; without them, you will find yourselves lost in the lies of the culture and society. I pray that each of you will desire wisdom far beyond the empty words of a fallen world. “For wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.” (Proverbs 8:11) 

My first bit of wisdom comes from the beloved, Anne of Green Gables. 
“Things are so mixed up in real life. They aren’t clear-cut and trimmed off, as they are in novels.” (Anne of the Island)

You will never be the perfect heroine of your life. People will break your heart. You will fail though you try. Prince Charming will not come riding in on a white stallion. Life is messy, and we all enter this world with flaws. Don’t buy into the lie that a person or position will complete your life. There will always be struggle with no guarantee of a happy ending. I don’t tell you this to squash your dreams, keep dreaming. I’m telling you this so that you are more equipped to reach those dreams. 

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5)

So, while there may be no perfect husband, no perfect job, no perfect children, you must endure through the heartache. Know that although there is a great reality in the failures of humanity, there is an even greater reality in the faithfulness of God. The Holy Spirit will not allow you to be put to shame, for there is always hope in Christ.  He has graciously placed beauty and laughter in the midst of life's sorrows. They are the powerful reminders that His light can always be found. 

Keep dreaming, knowing that although you will stumble, you will not be put to shame. 

Love,

Mom