Dear Younger me- Anna Blanton

Writer of this post- Anna Blanton

Dear Younger me

By Anna Blanton

Dear Younger Me,
You sought purpose, but what you really desired was to belong to One greater. You chased fulfillment in the doing but neglected to rest your soul in Christ. You lacked direction, but His plan for you was established long before breath filled your lungs. If only you rested your searching soul in the steadfast love of the Lord.
Love,
A little older me
His Purpose Above All
Psalm 33:11 says, “But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.”
Hey y’all! It’s me, impatient Anna, who has big dreams and ideas but often feels frustrated and lost in the mix. I was the little girl who lived five to ten years ahead of her age, stressing out over the details of college + career at twelve years old. If only I was joking, but no. I so desperately wanted to live in the freedom of childhood, carefree and in the moment, but for the life of me I couldn’t.
Younger me wishes that she fully trusted the Truth of God’s Word. Rather than resting in the purpose of God’s heart, I opted to exhaust myself in the searching and striving for my own success and fulfillment. Fast forward to 2022, and as much as I would like to say that I have learned to daily trust the purpose of God’s heart, that would be extremely dishonest of me. The struggle to surrender and trust God’s heart is all too real.
Do you ever feel the need to prove yourself? I believe that God gave us a desire to stand out and make a name, but not a name for ourselves. Rather, we were made in the very image of our Creator, born to reflect His heart and make His name known. Genesis 1:27 tells us, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Alright, now take a deep breath and let go of the pressure to be all that you can be, and rather live to exemplify who Christ already is. After all, it’s not about us. In exchange for the searching and the striving, take hold of His purpose for you. You are a living reflection of an amazing God. What a beautiful opportunity for which we were created.
Embedded in the very being of who we are is a desire to belong, to be a part of a plan greater than our own.The world tries to misdirect that desire and push us to achieve a name for our own glory. Yet, His purpose is above all! The work is finished. Christ went to great lengths to redeem us as His children, made new and clean in Him. When things in our lives seem to fall apart at the very core, when plans do not go as mapped out, when relationships crumble, His purpose stands firm. The One in control of the universe, the mighty King of Kings, He is the author of our story.
Let me encourage you today, seek God’s heart. Find peace in His perfect plan even when it seems far from ideal. The purpose of God’s heart stands firm through it all, and in this we can rest. Stop the striving. Just live; live in His plan!