Dear Twenty-Something by Kelli Best
The way you speak to yourself matters. Dear Twenty-Something today Kelli writes our next letter from the perspective of looking back and what she would say to her younger self. Enjoy the insights and helpful perspective. I wonder what you would say to yourself today? Pay careful attention to your self-talk. Love ya Char
Dear Kelli,
A few things I have learned at 53. . .
Just relax! Everything will be ok, even though it doesn’t seem like it right now! I know how important it is for you to know where you are going in life and to have a plan, but here is the thing. . . plans made on our own are never fruitful. It may seem like it at the time, but you will eventually realize that without Jesus closely by your side, all is for naught.
Right now, you feel it is vital to have things “figured out.” I understand! You look around at all your friends and it seems they have things figured out, yet, you still feel lost, alone, unsure. Let me say that your path will change many times and it will deviate from where you are right now in your thinking. This is not failure or lack, it’s just life and how God reroutes our own plans and merges them with His plans.
Remember, you NEED Jesus! Sometimes in this goal setting and career organizing time of life, we forget that! Be careful! Leaning on our own gifts and strengths can lead to burn out and loneliness. You need other people and most importantly, you need Jesus. I recall hearing this from others older than me and thinking it was such an “old person” phrase! Haha! However, with each passing year, I have come to know this need on a daily, and sometimes even hourly, level.
Don’t get so hung up on what this looks like either! I remember a pastor’s wife reassuring me that she could worship and pray while she was vacuuming and it was just as fulfilling and meaningful as sitting down somewhere with her Bible. Just talk to Him, all the time, every day, about EVERYTHING!
Really “see” others. Don’t just look at them, see through them. Your opinion only matters to you. No one else really cares! Haha! Opinions never advance us the way we think that they will, they only make us look ridiculous, which plays right into the enemy’s hands. Hold loosely to those opinions and to things and people. One motto I really try to live by as a recovering “opinion-sharing – a -holic” is “Pray it, don’t say it.”
There is purpose and promise in the pain of life. Right now, it may seem unfair or useless, however, God can and does use those moments of pain to help reveal His purpose for you.
Finally, love your loved ones well and often because you never know just how much time you really have with them. Just get over the offensive words and actions and be the “grown-up.” Let the blood of Jesus cover those offenses and reap the benefits of having no regrets later down the road.
You’ve got this, my dear, you really do!
Kelli Best and her husband, Bill, have two children: Ashlee and Paige. Bethlehem Chapel in eastern Washington is their church home where they have pastored since 2009. Married since 1989, Kelli and Bill both agree it feels like just yesterday they were married. Kelli has a B.A. in Music Education from Evangel University and spent over twenty years in home education. Now Kelli is the team leader for BONDED Women’s Ministry at Bethlehem Chapel and participates on the worship team. She is an ordained minister with the Assemblies of God and served as the Women’s Ministry Facilitator for the Northwest Ministry Network for two years. Kelli enjoys speaking and writing, is an avid reader, lover of quality chocolate and good coffee, and loves spending her free time in the kitchen cooking and baking.
Contact information: Kellibest89@gmail
Social Media: Kelli Hill-Best on Facebook and kellibest on Instagram
