10 Takeaways from Being 19

In just a few days, I will be entering a new decade of life! I’ve been reminded that when I feel stuck, it’s important to look back to even a year ago and realize how many things God has brought me through or taught me about in just twelve months.

In honor of my upcoming birthday, here are 10 things I’ve learned from being 19:

1. God always answers prayers

But…I’ve had to redefine what the word “answer” means. If you ask someone a question and they say, “I’ll have an answer for you by tomorrow”, that answer could be a variety of things. It could be a resounding yes or a sympathetic no.

I’ve come to realize that most often, God’s answer isn’t my version of a “yes” or “no”. Rather, it’s something completely unexpected that may involve loss and difficulty but will lead me to the place where I’m meant to be.

2. Hardships cultivate empathy

If you let them, hardships can be the best way to connect with others on a meaningful level. Opening your eyes to understanding how God may use your past or present difficulties can cause you to have deeper peace.

3. Rest matters

Never have I ever had a year where rest has been so critical to maintaining healthy boundaries, keeping a clear mindset, and showing myself love. And when we rest, we are better able to step into our workplaces and relationships with patience and grace.

4. Counseling is important, but only Jesus brings full healing

Hear me out on this one. I will always be in support of counseling and mental health care, but after undergoing counseling treatment for the first time last fall, I realized my expectations for it weren’t completely realistic. When we expect human treatments to fix all our problems, we will never experience complete satisfaction. But when treatments supplement our reliance on and relationship with God, we will receive the healing that our bodies long for, even if it’s a slow process.

5. Keep an open Bible

This one I learned from my boss, who is a pastor. When in meetings or in prayer, there is something profound about keeping your Bible open even after you’re done reading it. It’s an image of allowing the Holy Spirit to speak into your decisions and guide your thoughts.

6. Go for daily walks

I’m no athlete, but getting fresh air every day has been one of the things that has kept me alert and grounded through dealing with life online and having a busy schedule. Being surrounded by nature or at least breathing in new air reminds me of God’s creativity and grace.

7. When you ask for patience, you will get patience

This year has been filled with many trying situations and relationships. There have been moments when I’ve wanted to escape from it all, but God has always pulled me back and pushed me to stay on track. Recently, I’ve realized that patience, a trait that I’ve lacked on many occasions, has been growing inside me. Last night I looked at my list of goals for this year, and becoming more patient was one of them. What do you know? 😉

While a difficult goal, one that’s still being cultivated for me, patience is something God seems to delight in helping us work on.

8. People change, and that is a beautiful thing

I used to be terrified of change, and it’s still not my favorite thing. However, change allows us to be transformed into the purposeful creation God has made us to be. And when we try to keep people in a box of past expectations, we lose sight of how they are also being shaped into healthier individuals. When we make space for growth in relationships, we will start to gain more understanding, empathy, and even joy.

9. Callings may shift over time

God shouldn’t be limited to only giving us one calling during our lifetime. Rather, our calling may shift throughout different seasons and we may be led out of circumstances that we had been brought into. Over the past year, I’ve stepped away from two major places where I had been previously called. While it felt unnatural and even a little terrifying, following God without knowing what comes next has been vital to growing my trust in Him.

10. Don’t let anyone underestimate you

Recently I’ve been in several circles where I’ve been the youngest one. I’ve definitely felt out of place and even unqualified at times. But then God reminded me that even though I’m young, I still have gifts to bring.

Age is such a subjective matter. We may seem old to those fewer in years or unlearned to those farther along on their journey. But God sees our full potential and will use us as much as we are willing.

I have two wishes for you on this beautiful day:

That you may find joy along the journey and chase light wherever it takes you, even if it means trying a new path or setting a new boundary for the sake of rest

And

That you always know you are never alone and that God will be there to see you through whatever battles you face.

May you go through every day with love and grace.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ⁵ For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. ⁶ If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. ⁷ And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7