Advice I Would Give My Younger Self

Faith, Healing, and the Lessons God Taught Me Through My Hardest Seasons

God wasn’t always a part of my life — at least not in a way I recognized. I grew up in a home where faith and Christianity weren’t talked about, and as a child and young adult, I experienced trauma that left me questioning everything.
I often wondered:

“If God really loves me… why did all these things happen to me?”

I carried that confusion into adulthood, and eventually into years of substance abuse and painful decisions that could have easily taken my life. But even in those darkest moments — moments I didn’t realize I’d survive — God was quietly protecting me.

Fast-forward a few years, a few more mistakes, a few more rock bottoms… and finally, a moment where I said:

Enough. I want healing. I want God. I want sobriety.

Here are the faith lessons I would tell my younger self — the lessons that carried me from brokenness to growth, from fear to faith, and from survival to purpose.

 

1. Trust God’s Timing

I know — it’s easier said than done.
Especially in a world built around convenience and instant gratification.

But timing matters. Timing shapes us.
And honestly, time is all we really have. Tomorrow isn’t promised, and life moves quickly.

If I could look my younger self in the eyes, I’d tell her this:

There is beauty in waiting.
There is purpose in patience.
And the time you spend healing with God will never be wasted.

Take the time to reflect. To grow. To break old cycles. To sit with God.
Those are the moments that change your life in ways instant gratification never could.

 

2. You Don’t Have to Be Perfect

Trauma comes in many shapes, and it leaves different marks on all of us.
For me, trauma made me believe I had to be perfect — that I had to prove everyone wrong, that I had to earn my worth.

But perfection is a trap.
It doesn’t measure success; it measures exhaustion, comparison, and shame.

Here is the truth:

God never asked you to be perfect.
He asked you to be His.

Before you judge yourself or anyone else… just don’t.
Instead, embrace your unique look, style, quirks, hobbies, and gifts.

You’re a rare flower, girl — grown, shaped, and handpicked by God.
We’re all out here stumbling, falling, and scraping ourselves off the back road.
Embrace the journey, not the perfection.

 

3. Choose Faith Over Fear

Starting this blog is the perfect example.
I talked myself out of it for years:

“Will anyone read this?”
“Does anyone care?”
“Do real blogs even exist anymore?”
“What if I fail?”

Fear kept me stuck.
Faith helped me leap.

One of my favorite quotes by Brianna Wiest says:

“You may find that your biggest progress will come from embracing the things you once feared.”

Faith and fear both ask you to believe in something you can’t see.
One sets you free; the other keeps you trapped.

And honestly, what is the worst that will happen if you choose faith?
You didn’t have the dream before — and if it fails, you still have God beside you.

Fear doesn’t come from God.
Faith leads to freedom.

Isaiah 41:10, 2 Timothy 1:7

 

4. Surround Yourself With Like-Minded Individuals

A lot of my most painful mistakes came from the company I kept.
People who encouraged my bad decisions, fed my weaknesses, or influenced me in the wrong direction.

When I chose healing, I had to choose new people too.
It was scary — cutting people off often brings fear, judgment, or loneliness.

But here’s what I learned:

God cares about the company you keep because the company you keep shapes your character.

The right community strengthens your faith, your walk, your decisions, and your direction.

Ask yourself:

• Are there people in your life you need to step away from?
• Who in your circle lifts you up in faith?

Sometimes walking toward what scares you is exactly where God’s blessings begin.

 

5. God’s Love Is Constant

Love is something I struggled to understand.
I didn’t grow up watching healthy love — I saw abuse, broken marriages, and instability.
So I wondered:

“If they don’t love me… why would God?”

I thought I had to earn love.
Be perfect.
Act right.
Stay small.
Stay quiet.

But God doesn’t love like people do.

His love isn’t based on behavior, or achievements, or perfection.
His love is constant — steady — unconditional.

Looking back, I can now see the moments He protected me, comforted me, guided me, even when I was far from Him.

No matter what mistakes you’ve made, God’s love does not change.

Romans 8:38–39

Reflection question:
What moments in your past do you need to revisit through the lens of God’s never-ending love?

 

A Final Word to My Younger Self

If I could sit with her — scared, confused, hurting, lost — I would tell her this:

God was with you then.
He’s with you now.
And He always will be.

You were never alone — and you never will be.