Dear Little Me,
I sat down to write you this letter and I wasn’t exactly sure where to start. But then I tried picturing you in front of me.
Everyone talked about how your eyes always sparkled, how you could never sit still. They talked about how you would dance from room to room, and how much you loved life. You always had such a joy and big dreams.
I remember well how devastating it seemed when you learned that your tiny, uncoordinated body would never be ballerina material. Or how becoming an olympic ice skater was not a good career choice for someone who got dizzy after spinning around once. I remember your world turning upside down when someone broke the news to you that becoming a cowgirl in Ohio probably wasn’t going to work out.
But I understand, being five is hard.
Little me, I wish I could tell you that you’ll quickly get over these “major hurdles,” and things will go back to being sunshine, butterflies and sparkles.
I wish I could tell you that life would always be this easy, and that the worst thing that would ever happen to you was a bad hair day (even though those will happen to you a lot).
But I can’t, little one.
Your life will have its highs and its lows, and at times it will feel like the lows far outnumber the highs. Your heart will be broken by people who promised they would never leave, and in those times the loneliness will feel overwhelming. There will be many times that you will want to give up because you feel like life couldn’t get any harder and going on seems unbearable.
Many of your dreams will slip away, and life will look very different from what you imagined. You will feel alone, discouraged, disappointed, sad, hopeless, tired and scared.
But little one, do not be afraid.
Because even in the depths of your darkest hours, you will feel a peace that surpasses all understanding.
You will feel joy that cannot be contained and overwhelming outpouring of love. You’ll find hope that does not come from things in this world, and a strength that does not come from within you, but from your Heavenly Father.
He will become your best friend.
There are a few things that I want to tell you.
1. Be thankful life didn’t turn out how you thought it would.
You always wanted to have this strong body that could do amazing things. Instead you will have one that is weak. But in that weakness you will learn what it truly means to rely completely on Christ. That very weakness will be your greatest tool to show how glorious Jesus really is.
