ALL THE VERSIONS OF ME
A friend sent me a quote that said, “There’s something so beautiful about having long-term friends that have witnessed multiple versions of you and loved you unconditionally through it all.” Though it was meant to be humorous, it made me think about all the different versions of myself over the years. It filled me with profound humility and gratitude that, instead of throwing me away after so many failed opportunities, God chose to remake and restore me. I will be 69 next month. And at this age, God has chosen to produce the best version of myself. And even at 69, I will still have a six-year headstart on Abraham!
God looked at my life (and regardless of what you have done, or what version of yourself you have been, He will look at your life) and said, “Forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I’m about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland” (Isaiah 43:19-19).
Oh, dear friend, it is not too late. At any age and in any stage, you can make a difference and an impact. Who better to issue warnings than those who have made mistakes? Who better to point out the dangerous pathways than those who have travelled them? Who better to showcase God’s grace than those who have experienced it the most?
I heard I was voted down for a speaking engagement at a church because the Women’s Committee thought that someone in their 30’s or 40’s would be more relevant. I hate to tell them, but the 30-year-old version of myself is not the one they would have wanted.
And thank you again to the dear friends of mine who have loved me through every stage. If you put up with all of that, you really ought to get to know the “old and improved” me. You will like her even better.
If you think you are “tired and expired,” you don’t know what God loves to do. “Those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
