What advice would you give your twenty-two-year-old self? Has anyone ever asked you this? These kinds of questions are popular, especially as graduation season approaches. If only I knew then what I know now…
While it’s inspiring to think about what we’ve learned and how we would summarize many years of experience in a few lines, in many ways, it’s an odd exercise. After all, we can’t go back. And I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure my twenty-two-year-old self wouldn’t have listened.
This week, I had an interesting experience thinking about my younger self. On Monday, I started a new job, and during the onboarding process, I reconnected with someone on the team I knew from my seminary days in my mid-twenties. I even worked in her office as a student assistant all those years ago.
As I met the team on my first day and told them how I knew this other person, I had to laugh at myself. Oh, how I thought I knew it all back then. Fortunately, the Lord has been at work in the intervening years.
People tend to think of midlife in terms of crisis, but it’s also a time of recognizing the ways the Lord has been gracious and faithful to us over the decades. Yes, there have been some hard years along the way, but they have helped me grow and strengthened my faith.
With all the emphasis on youth and slowing down the aging process, we can lose sight of the reality that maturity is a good thing. Our decades of life experience and confidence that the Lord won’t abandon us help us hold steady when challenges arise.
Instead of thinking about advice for our younger selves, what if we took time to reflect on the ways that the Lord has been with us even when we thought we had it all figured out? What could you look back on and laugh at now?
Half my life ago
I agree with this! Even if I could go back and give myself advice, I don't think I would have had the maturity to apply the advice in a helpful way. There is definitely something to be said for maturity and life experience. And I look back and see how God was using situations to grow me closer to him, so why would I want to wish away those experiences? I'd rather have some difficult life experiences and a close relationship with God than an easy life with no relationship with God.
Amen. Well said!