Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!
I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing great, thanks to my awesome Father in Heaven. I was just on Twitter and noticed that one of the trending topics is #WhatIWouldTellA15YearOldMe and it inspired me to write this post. I thought to myself what I would tell myself 10 years ago. Prior to writing this, I decided to look through some of my photos of when I was 16 and they definitely captured my personality at that time. I will share some below in the letter. So if I were to write a letter today to 16-year-old Ruby, what would I say?
Dear 16-Year-Old Ruby,
How are you doing, sweet and spunky girl? You've got a big personality and confident in yourself, which makes you so awesome. You have no cares in the world and friendly to everyone. Honestly, I'd like to tell you that your bubbly personality and optimism for life will remain forever and you won't have any stumbling blocks in life, but I'd be lying. Don't get me wrong, life will always be wonderful but you will also realize that the many blessings it comes with will also have lessons along with it. I really want to tell you to keep God first and continually seek Him but right now you really don't understand what that means even though you are born and raised in a Christian home, go to Church, and have your Bible by your bedside. I want to tell you that Jesus loves you but you still don't understand what that means even though you've had John 3:16 memorized since you were a preteen. I want to tell you that you should honor God with your words, thoughts, actions, and body but you still don't know what that means and honestly in a few years time, you will do the opposite of that in many ways and find ways to justify that what you are doing is okay because it's your life and you are in charge of it.
You've got a very strong personality and do your best to not allow others to tell you who you are. That's good! Continue to be confident in yourself, but also humble yourself to listen to others so you can grow into the woman God created you to be. Last year in 10th grade, you started writing/referring to yourself as Ruby B. Johnson and since then you get teased for demanding folks to include your middle initial when they say or write your full name, that's not going to change any time soon; actually it still hasn't changed right now. Dear sweet girl, I think it's wonderful that you don't care about wearing makeup but satisfied with the pink glittery lip gloss your mom buys you, because 5 years from now and onward you will be rocking red lipstick and getting dolled up in beautiful makeup. At 16, you are not in a rush to grow up and more focused on getting straight As. Today, you may write on your Myspace and Facebook pages that you will be Miss Sierra Leone 2011 for fun but what you don't know is that you will actually become Miss Sierra Leone USA 5 years from now. You've always had long, healthy hair and find no problem with relaxers even though you always dread that time of the year when it happens because of how much it burns your scalp and the cream stinks; but you will discover in a few years time that your hair is even more beautiful in its natural state and will fall in love with your curls. That will be the time that you will really know your hair and learn how to take good care of it.
Here's an awesome secret I'll share with you - the 5 girls that are your closest friends right now, you are still going to be friends with 10 years from now, even though a couple will drift away after some time but you will all always love each other. The way all of you see your lives right now isn't how it's going to be in 10-years-time, but your lives will be wonderful regardless. Right now, you have a boyfriend and thinking that both of you will get married in the future because you just can't see life any other way but oh my dear girl, you are wrong; trust me, you'll realize later that that's okay. Miss Johnson, in a few years time you're going to make decisions based on you thinking that you know what love is and they will be poor decisions but I can comfortably say that you will be okay afterwards because God loves you and is gracious to you, even though right now you only acknowledge Him when you need help. Presently, you do love and care about your mom but you still don't understand how important she is in your life and the sacrifices she makes for you. Your relationship will be rocky sometimes and you will give her a hard time for silly things you'll do but it'll get better as you get older. As you become a woman in the future, you will understand her more and know why things are the way they are. With respect to your father, I know you wish you will have a better relationship with him and enjoy him as your younger sisters are but don't despise him because you don't know the full story - the God who blessed you with that earthly father will restore your relationship in the future but know that he does love you. As for your brother, he loves you. Both of you are polar opposites and it's not because of the 9-year age difference, but always remember that he has your back. He is quiet, yet observant, and will speak up or take action when necessary.
Right now, you think you'll make a great lawyer because you are inquisitive and like to argue, but what you don't know is that God had blessed you with a teacher 2 years ago in your freshman year of high school who is sowing a seed in you and nurturing your technical skills that'll lead you to studying engineering instead. As an ambitious junior in high school right now, you want to graduate with more than 60 hours of community service that your county requires by volunteering as a counselor for a camp for kids with autism during these past two summers. As you get older, it will no longer be about getting service hours to graduate high school but actually caring about autism awareness as well as discover that you truly do enjoy serving and giving back to your community. At this age you are that African/Black girl who is obsessed with Bollywood movies and all things Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherji, struggling who to pick between your celebrity crushes (Nick Cannon, Justin Timberlake, or Lil' Romeo) and going through phases of only listening to Evanescence, Avril Lavigne, J-rock, country music, rock, and sometimes screamo in addition to wanting to be Raven Symone, adores Naomi Campbell, and obsessing over the Olsen twins. Some folks laugh at you for liking President George W. Bush and Condoleeza Rice is your role model. You've heard this since Middle School that you're "oreo" because of how you talk. Don't allow any of those things to bother you. Stick to belly dancing, it's your best form of workout even though you do it now because you enjoy it. Know that as you grow into your body, your weight will fluctuate, love yourself at any weight but do your best to remain healthy and fit; don't compare your size and figure with who you see at school or on TV. Your love for the color red is not something that is going to change and still hasn't changed 10 years down the line. Your love for Popeyes chicken won't change anytime soon either.
You are a year and half away from going to college and that's going to influence how you see life and think. College will throw a lot at you based on the company you keep as well as the classes you take, there's going to be a moral battle going on with you in all those years but don't worry, God will give you discernment at the right time. There will be times whereby you are conflicted with what's right and wrong, and in those moments you will lean on your own understanding; however, your varying experiences and wisdom will nurture you to be the woman who is confident in who she is and what she truly believes in few years later. So here's a little teaser for your future: you see college as a 4-year thing - that's not going to be the case. It's going to be longer than that but trust me, those years will be worth it academically, professionally, and personally. The internships you have in mind to get done while in college will happen but yours will be different - one will be a co-op internship that will make you experience the beauty of the South while taking you away from school for a little; bonus: you'll even get to learn how to shoot a gun and other fun/important life skills beyond the work experience! Knowing how much you worry and think too much, you're probably thinking right now of how that time off from college and doing the co-op will mess up your plan and timeline for your life but trust me, it's going to be worth it when you agree to doing it. So you know how you love Sierra Leone and brag about its diamonds? I'll share a secret with you - you'll actually get to handle diamonds in Sierra Leone. Stay tuned for this, it'll be a blast (pun intended).
Dear sweet girl, I know you're goal-oriented and right now you basically have your whole life planned out - graduate college at 21, get married at 22 (first dance with your husband will be Celine Dion's "A New Day Has Come"), first child at 23, driving your red Lincoln Navigator, and definitely established in your career by 30. Ruby dearest, I want you to learn to be flexible about what lies in your future. There are some things - and let me be honest - most things won't happen your way. BUT you will be fine. There are amazing things you are going to do that you never even imagined, travel/live in places that never crossed your mind, meet folks that will enhance your knowledge, and even that man you envisioned to marry will not be who you end up doing life with. I just want you to know that God has your back. I am not saying to not have direction in life, by all means have a plan, but be flexible and readily accept change. I don't want to sound pessimistic but your life won't be perfect - you are going to face a heartbreak from a relationship, you will get rejection from jobs you really want, and you will say things that you will regret. Maybe some of these things can be avoided but sometimes they can't, but be willing to deal with them in healthy ways.
Young lady, I know right now you see becoming a born-again as a thing one does when they are old and that to be a real Christian woman you have to be boring. Well I want you to know that you will get to a stage in your life in the future and encounter God in so many ways that these thoughts of yours will change. You will realize that God made you this way and He will get the glory out of this bubbly, outgoing, brave, resilient, no-nonsense personality of yours. Hold on to your culture and morals as a Sierra Leonean and embrace your values as an American. My darling Ruby, continue what you do by walking away from conflict. You have never been in a fight, so don't try to be or even instigate one. Let your words be life-giving. I really would like to end this letter by telling you to love yourself but I know at 16 you truly don't know what that means yet. But I am confident that you will get there. Today at 26, I have learned to love you but more importantly love the one who created you most because you are precious and honored in His sight and you are His beloved. Don't allow bitterness from being hurt to stop you from loving yourself and others. Live in love and not in fear. Reach for excellence and nothing less, Miss Ruby and don't you forget the "B" Johnson.
"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus...And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:6, 9-11
Jesus loves you.
Restored woman living for God's Glory,
Ruby B. Johnson.
Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.
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