A Letter To The Seniors

Dear Friend Graduating in the Class of 2023, 

 I can't stop thinking about what it would be like to graduate high school this weekend. Thinking about all that life could offer you, the things you will say yes to, and the things you’ll pass on. 

I can’t stop thinking about the coffee dates you will have with new friends in college, and the adventures you will take. I can’t stop thinking about the moment you’ll meet the boy in your intro chem lab - you know the one… it’s nearly impossible to tell if he is flirty or just needs your help with the notes. I can’t help but wonder if you will finish college, or if you will drop out to start your own business, or go on to do literally a zillion other things. 

I have been thinking about what was important to me when I graduated high school and what I would tell that wide-eyed girl if I could go back in time. Here’s what I would tell freshly graduated Sarah and my friends graduating in 2023.

First and foremost I would tell her to stop everything and make a playlist of all the top 40 songs she listens to and hold on to it like a time capsule. I would tell her to stop worrying about if her leggings were see-through and buy the more expensive ones - they last longer anyway.

I would tell her that there are way more options than she thinks. Fear has a tricky way of making us think that there are only a few options or that we will be locked in forever. Do some research, take your time, and get really curious. You’re always doing better than you think you are.  Your curiosity and ability to ask good questions will carry you a long way!

I think about the relationship I had with Jesus when I graduated high school. I was so in love with Him and so also confused by the things of God at the same time. There was so much brokenness in my life that year. I had a lot of healing to do. That didn’t stop me from being in awe at the vastness of our God and for that I am so grateful. I had mentors and spiritual leaders who I let into the biggest parts of my life. I stopped listening to voices that said I could never do anything big for the Kingdom. If you don’t have a mentor, I would encourage you to pray for one. Surrounding yourself with people a little further along on the journey is so helpful. Mentors don’t have to be super formal. One mentor taught me how to bake cookies and box-dye my hair. Skills that are absolutely necessary but might need a little teaching. Other mentors held me accountable in moving away from sin and shame. Others taught me how to read the Bible. Others were there when I needed to process my dating life - or lack there of.

I wish I could go back in time and write this everywhere in her life. I would tell her over and over and over again until it stuck - that her worth never came from what she could do. Her worth was never measured in what she could produce or the approval that came from a job well done. I would tell her that if she continued chasing awards, applause, and approval from external sources that she would never feel good enough. I would tell her that a need for approval was wired in her from her Heavenly Father but it was put there to be satisfied only by Him alone. Before Jesus did anything… before His ministry ever started, God the Father looked at Him and said, “This is My Son in whom I am well pleased.” Your identity as a daughter carries authority to do all the things but don’t get it twisted. You don’t do all the things to get God’s… or anyone else's… approval. Especially not the frat boy who is snapping 6 other girls…. ope there I said it.

I think I would also prep her for heartbreak. Not in a “put up guarded walls kind of way,” but in an “it’s ok for it to suck and it’s not your fault” kind of way. Your hard emotions are valid. You have permission to feel them. Someone is going to let you down. Something will go wrong. It is likely gonna come at the worst time. (I had my heart broken the day after my birthday, during exam week hours before I needed to present an hour-long presentation to my entire class. Absolutely not ideal but we made it through).

The way you choose to respond to it says WAY more about you than them. 2016 Sare had no idea that the next years would hold both sparkly confetti and unshakable darkness. You never prep for heartbreak but once it’s happened, you might be prone to try to protect against it in wild defensive ways. I’d tell 2018 Sarah, that even after heartbreak, the best version of her wasn’t the guarded one. The Lord will teach you new things, but it’s way more about who you are becoming and what parts of His character He wants to reveal to you.

That Sare also didn’t know she would make some of her best friends, would spend months living abroad, she’d make bold connections with community leaders that spur her on toward huge callings and dreams. That Sare didn’t know that she would see people healed miraculously, connected into beautiful community, and set free from life-controlling issues. That Sare didn’t know that pouring her heart and soul into her journals was actually teaching her how to use writing to usher in freedom for her peers. She didn’t think she would open her heart to be loved again but she came out the other side with more than she ever dreamed.

Sister the Lord is always up to way more than what you can see at the time. I am convinced that He only writes stories that He wants to be intimately intertwined in. Congratulations on finishing high school. There is so much in store for you after this summer. I pray that you might take some extra time to dream with the Lord for whatever is next. He is writing a good story with your life. This generation is better because you’re in it!