Dear younger me,

You are holy. You are righteous. You are one of the redeemed. You are free indeed. 

First off, I want to tell how you beautiful you are. No matter what this world tries to tell you otherwise. Your muscles aren't manly and your height is beautiful. God made you perfect in his own image. Girls will be girls. They will be mean. Please know that most of all that comes from insecurities and has nothing to do you with YOU. You are are going to find that your morals and values aren't cool. Thats okay, keep true to yourself. Remember, your goal on this earth is to make it like Heaven. 

You are going to realize at a young age that you were born with amazing athletic ability. You will receive a lot of attention and also witness a lot of mean people along with your successes, stay humble. Always treat others with kindness. Remember that your athletic ability doesn't define you. Only God can do that. 

You are not stupid. No matter how many teachers make you feel this way, know that you are smart. You learn in a different way than other kids and this does not mean that you are stupid. No one is stupid. Never be too ashamed to tell someone that you do not understand and ask them to explain it to you in a different way. 

You will have your heart broken. But, my girl, you will heal. The high school puppy loves are real. Enjoy that kind of love. Cherish them, actually. They only last for a short time. 

Your parents are the smartest people you will ever meet. Yeah, I know. Not what you wanted to hear. But always, always take into consideration the advice they give you and know that they are doing the best they can and its all coming from a place of love. They will be your biggest fans and biggest critics along the way. Remember, they are raising you to realize that if you want something in life you have to be willing to put in the extra time and hardwork to achieve it. Not everyone gets a trophy and when you are older you will be thankful they raised you the way they did. Even though at times, you thought they were simply the meanest people ever. 

Love your parents, and love them hard. Every single day, call them. Make sure they always know how loved they are by you. I can assure you they will never leave your side, so don't you leave theirs either. You will grow up to realize they are your best friends. Oh, and Brittany, love your brother. Go play his video games with him and much as you can, never ever lose an opportunity to be with him. I can assure you that you will miss being young with him more than anything else about your childhood. Always remind him how much you adore him. You really are blessed with the best big brother in the world. 

You are going to find out that you will live most of your life in fear. At least until your late twenties. When you believe the fear, you are giving into darkness. Fear freezes our faith. Fear is the most effective tool that darkness has in this world. Always work to find the light that exists inside of you. Your light will provide the strength you need to overcome any obstacle and any amount of fear.

You will find that you are completely burnt out by softball by the time you go to college. It is okay. Go anyways. These years will help you to grow more than you will ever know. You will experience so much adversity. You will be introduced to a whole new way to growing in your faith through FCA and you will make memories that will last a lifetime with friends and teammates.

At college, you will also find a husband. I want to warn you that you will go through some dark, dark, dark experiences in that relationship. Just remember the verse Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Repeat this verse everyday. It will help to protect your light and pull you through the moments when the pain feels crippling. Never forget who is holding you in their hand. You must forgive. You will learn that without healing and forgiveness, other peoples mistakes will affect your future. Never forget, God longs to speak to the wounded place in your life and to heal you with his love. Through all the hurt and pain you endure in this relationship, you will learn how beautiful and special your relationship with God is. 

Life will always move you forward. The adversity you face will shape you into an amazing, strong, brave and capable woman. God will use your pain in a way that will blow your mind! You will be amazed by the people he brings into your life and you will be able to witness first hand the way he keeps his promises. You will see the world and feel more ‘free’ than you’ve ever experienced in your life. So, hold on beautiful girl, and enjoy the journey. It’s a beautiful ride. 

I will leave you with this... love your enemies as Jesus did so that you can experience triumph instead of pain, freedom instead of enslavement to negativity, and joy instead of anger. Always offer grace to everyone, even those who hurt you to your core. Never stop being the light to those around you. Never forget that you have the ability every single day to make an influence on someone else’s life. You get the amazing opportunity to show them Gods grace because you know what it’s been like to experience it first hand. So, shine sweet Brittany, shine. Show everyone just how incredible our God is.

You are so loved, Brittany!

xo