A Coffee Date With Twenty Year Old (arrogant) Me

There are so many things that I was told that I wish I had listened to when I was in my twenties.
Oh, if I could talk to twenty year old me, here are a few things I would drive home...

(I love lists, don't you??)

Listen to your parents  

Going to a Junior College for nursing right out of High School probably isn’t a terrible idea.  
 And that new car you think you need, you probably don’t.

 

Consequences are real 

 Don’t do something just because you want to.  Learn to make wise decisions. 
You are not the exception. 

Take God at his Word 

Just do it.  Bank absolutely everything you have on him.  He will not be mocked.  And he is so good.

   

Immerse yourself in God’s word 

It is the only truth out there. 

DO.NOT.PICK.UP.THAT.DRINK. 

Instead, pick up that phone.  And ask for help.

Spend time with your grandparents

Lots of it.  And get your grandmother’s recipes.
There will be a day when she won’t be around to teach you to make her delicious banana pudding or cornbread. 

When people say they love you, they mean it  

You don’t have to push everyone out.  It is a safe and good thing to be known and loved. 
People really are rooting for you!

Get to know yourself 

What are you passionate about?  What is your style? What do you like? Start forming opinions on things.  
Know what you stand for.  

Let people get to know you 

Your view of yourself shouldn’t taint how you think others view you.

    

Ask questions. Stop being so stubborn 

 And for the love of everything good, LISTEN.

   

You will more than likely be in a lot of weddings in your twenties. 

Be happy for those beautiful brides

 Don’t spend their wedding day trying to figure out ways to make it all about you. 

Journal.  Daily.  

 Someone will appreciate it one day.  Even if that “someone” is you. 

Exercise and eat healthy

 These 2 things really do matter in the long run.  

Go on trips with just your mom

 She will be there when no one else is, trust me. 
And she is the closest thing to human unconditional love that you will probably ever experience. 
And she is probably a lot of fun, too.

You really do not have 25 best friends

 Maybe two.  Go deeper in a few friendships and stop spreading yourself so thin.  
And remember those life-long friends.  

Do not check Facebook every waking moment 

It creates false intimacy and your thirty-two year old self will thank you for it.     

Get a passport

And use it.  Go on a mission trip. There is a big world out there. 

Take lots of pictures 

 And not just pictures at parties.  But everyday life pictures.  And no selfies.  

GET.A.JOB.AND.CUT.THE.CORD.    

Do not rely on your parents financially. 
(I bet they would have appreciated this, too!)

Be consistent

Settle into a city and plug in there.  Don’t wait on people to come to you.  It won’t happen.  Go to them.   

Spend time with atleast one older, wiser, godly woman  

This is one of the most life changing things you will ever do, trust me. 
They may just end up being your most precious friend. 
And, well, it is biblical.  (Titus 2:3-5)

Embrace your story
And get caught up in the details.  
Every event of your life is unfolding according to God's design and ultimately for your good.    

Learn to forgive quickly

 People will hurt you. Relationships are messy.  
And while you are at it, wipe off your shoulder. Your feelings do not belong there.