Hey 22-Year-Old Self

I asked Daddy the other day, if he could go back in time and visit his 22-year-old self prior to getting married, what he would say to him. His comments were precious and eye opening. Lean in to listen.

• "Listen to the old people." He said they will be gone before you know it and have so much wisdom and amazing stories to tell. They have gone through a lot in their lives. You will learn a lot from them. Suck up what they have to say. It will help with the journey.

• "It's gone in the blink of an eye." Daddy said to cherish every moment as it happens ... the wedding, the reception, the honeymoon, the early years as a couple, the precious years with young children, fun with older children, the empty nest. Every season passes quicker than you can imagine, so enjoy it as it happens.

• "Get yourself to church." He says you need recharged. You need to hear God's word preached. You need to be surrounded by other Christians. We spend so much of our life in and of the world, we need to be reminded we don't belong to it.

• "Love your wife. Please her and it will come back to you tenfold." Coming from his wife ... DO THIS!
  
• "It is so hard to make your way in this world. You put so much energy into your job and then wonder what all those hours were for." Create a balance between work and life. Work is to bless life and the lives of others around you. Don't let it consume life.

• "You don't know everything." You will think you do, but you don't. Which harkens back to that first comment above.

•  "Be kind." It's what God would want you to do.

He is a wise man, your Daddy. Save yourself a lot of time, missed opportunities and trials, and just listen to him. Because you can't go back in time to visit your 22-year-old self, but you can tell your 20-something children.

Discussion: What of the above statements resonate with you? Is there anything of the above that you could work on?

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the wisdom of experience, but mostly for the wisdom of listening to wisdom! Lord, we pray we are attentive when people who have been on the journey longer, help us along with ours. In Christ we pray, Amen.