An Open Letter to My Future Self
I share this not to boast, nor to even be vulnerable about my life, but I share this that maybe you would find something impactful or insightful into your own life. After thinking over the fact that this is a letter to myself for when I return to the states, I thought it worth sharing with the hope that you may be able to take something from what the Lord’s given me. I truly hope that you do see the impact that you have all had on me through your continuous support and encouragement. I cannot say thank you enough.
Please take heart in knowing that this truly is an open letter to my future self…
To the Brenton that will return from the race and forget many things,
I don’t know where necessarily to begin writing to you but do your best to look over the awkwardness and see the deeper meaning in my heart for putting this into black and white. I’m writing from Battambang, Cambodia in the middle of a heated afternoon while your family would have been coated up in layers due to the cold back in the states. But anyways, a few things were crossing over my mind today to write to you about in the form of a brief summary of what you had learned on the race up to this point.
You probably still have a brief memory of Colombia. Don’t forget the month you had with the whole squad for your first official month on your trip!! Don’t forget whenever the Lord showed you what it truly looks like to walk in freedom from anxiety and not just to put up a shield when it’s coming against you, but to fight back with the Word because you’re fighting from victory, not for victory. Don’t forget that. Don’t forget that His Word is the authority and guideline of your life, guiding you into a life of true abundance and a lasting satisfaction that is not temporary similar to that of what the world offers, but actually carries over past this life. Don’t forget that. Don’t forget when He taught you that the authority placed over you is placed over you for a reason and that they should truly be walking in seeking both yours and the body of Christ’s best in life. And you can know that they will, and even if they’re not, don’t forget that God can use that. Fight through those times that don’t make sense because you will never have the same and ultimate perspective that God has. Don’t forget to give grace and know that your leaders and authority love you and sometimes, it’s hard for them to walk in that and it brings them help and encouragement when you show them the grace that the Lord showed you and continually shows you. And don’t complain for a second about someone or something that’s going on when it could be a moment where you have the opportunity to show them grace. Isn’t that what the Lord did for you? Do you see Jesus complaining as they nailed Him to the cross as He died for you? Where would you be if decided not to show you grace or mercy? And so treat others not always how they deserve, but how the Lord treated you and how you want to be treated yourself. Don’t forget to give grace. Oh, and most of all, don’t forget in Colombia when the Lord wrecked your perspective on much of a life with a train by showing you the difference between entitlement and gratitude. Don’t forget that you are not entitled to have anyone or anything at all. Everything that you hold dearly or even not, is a gift that deserves gratitude. For example, everything that your parents do for you, you should not look at in the lens of “They are my parents so of course they should do this for me” where the same could be seen for when anyone does things for you but look deeper than the shallowness that your heart once held and see how deeply thankful you could be for the things that they, among many others do for you or give to you. Don’t forget gratitude.
Don’t forget the most stretching and challenging month that you had up to this point on the race. Ecuador was the most stretching, yet growing month you’d experienced to this point. You were stretched and pulled in every direction yet because you decided to let the Lord use it and you decided to choose to give it your all, the Lord used it for more good than you know. Don’t forget to be flexible and stretched, because in reality, stretching is what brings the most noticable growth. You know the analogy of the muscles and working out. Don’t forget when the Lord gave you the opportunity to shadow a full-time medical missionary who was an orthopedic surgeon in the middle of freaking Ecuador who was also from Alabama!!!! Fair Hope to be precise. Don’t forget the inspiration and fire it brought up in you to do that yourself and the desire for you to be able to contribute some of your life through medical mission work. Don’t forget that. Don’t forget how you learned that ministry is every day and not only is ministry every day and not just the scheduled bible studies and classes you have, but ministry is every second of every day. More importantly, ministry is a choice. Choose to be the light and salt of the world every day. Choose to bring the fullness of joy in a world where people are hanging on to the partiality of happiness that they believe the world can satisfy. Choose to be like Christ and crucify the part of you that’s self-seeking and looking to only your own interests and not others. Simply put, choose to love. That’s what you’re called by God as a Christian to do. Love God. Love people. Walk in relationship with Him in the unity that the body of Christ brings. Don’t forget the heart that you realized you had for missions sitting in an apartment one morning in Ecuador when you realized the weight that it carries to share Jesus with the people of other nations. Don’t forget to pray for the unreached. Don’t forget to pray for more workers because the harvest is truly plentiful. Don’t forget that you might not see the answer to that prayer, because you were the answer to someone else praying that same prayer whereas they’re likely not going to see that you were the answer. Don’t forget to have faith and trust in God.
Don’t forget the time you had in Thailand where the Lord truly revealed to you a new passion and part of your heart that you never knew. Don’t forget that you are passionate to be prepared to give an answer for the hope that you have and to prepare others by giving and sharing that same hope. Don’t forget the role models that you look up to that stand for the gospel and fight with integrity and gentleness for the absolute truth of Jesus Christ dying for the forgiveness of the world. Don’t forget the kids in the orphanage that you had the opportunity to spend time with and share the love of Christ with. Don’t forget your students and the piece of your heart that you left with them that you can’t get back. Don’t forget that the hurt that comes with saying goodbye shows that it truly meant something to you. Don’t forget that God has more in store for you on the path and adventure that He has for you. Don’t forget the heart that you have for others and continue straight on the passageway seeking to help others and share Christ and God will honor this passion by fulfilling this desire that it may glorify Him. Remember the time that you realized that each and every moment of each day and everything you do can be done out of the relationship that you have with Christ. It is not about religion and the acts of doing things to have them done. It’s all about walking out your relationship with Christ that leads into eternity and letting all that you do be done out of the heart seeking that what you do will have an eternal impact. Don’t forget that. Your Thai best friends you made!!! Gosh how much the Lord taught you through them… Remember how He taught you that even though we look different and sound different and may be from different places, we’re all created in the image of God and it’s something we have in common. Don’t forget the beauty of God’s creation in itself and in people that He showed you. Don’t forget the times you had with those students and the impact they had on your lives. Don’t forget the weight of relationship with God and with people.
I’m writing from Cambodia having been here for only a week but that doesn’t mean the Lord hasn’t already impacted you. From reflecting, I’ve learned that these are all good principles and good things that the Lord’s taught me, but if you don’t take these and hold them close enough to your heart to remember and implement them, you will be missing out on a bigger impact that the Lord wants to use you for. God wants you to use you for more. You have what it takes. He has equipped you with the giftings and talents that you have so that you can take those areas and ministries that you’re passionate for and do it all for the glory of God while being satisfied in Him all at the same time. Be thankful for all that He taught you and is teaching you. You’re walking back into or now walking in life with your family and friends that you were temporarily separated from for a greater cause and purpose, but don’t forget to be thankful for those family and friends that God has given you. Pour your heart out and love them with all that you are. It’s what Jesus did for you. Be thankful for the church and church body that you have that’s chasing after the Lord with all they have seeking to impact lives for Christ across the word. Choose to be a part of the local church and don’t waste a single moment or opportunity that the Lord gives you. Most of all, don’t forget the moment that this journey of a relationship with Christ began when you were sitting in the back of your local church in a church service and God did a work in your heart that you had no idea what was coming. Now I’m in Cambodia. And you’re back in the states. Make the most of it.
p.s. always keep in your heart those that you did life with for 9 months and travelled the world with seeking to make an impact for the Kingdom. You could never repay them for the impact that they had on you and your walk.
Brenton
