A woman of integrity...

Dear Future Liana, Hello there. Hope this letter finds you well, and warmer than I am now. Right now, I’m listening to a sermon on the importance of integrity, and I caught a glimpse of you in the pastor’s words. If everything I know about you is correct, and I continue to grow in Christ through my submission to His will, you are a woman of integrity. Other’s time is more important than your own, and you make it a priority to get to events on time – no, early! – in order to honor those you are meeting. You know how I do that thing where I say I’ll leave at 10, and then finally get out the door at 10:30? Not you. Miraculously, you’ve trained yourself to leave five minutes EARLIER than you said you would. Also, you might have noticed that I tend to be absentminded in the small stuff. Garage doors are left open, coffee mugs are forgotten in food courts, and my keys have been locked in my car more times than I want to think about. I admire that you have very little of that in you. You pay attention to detail, and it shows. You make it a point to communicate with those around you, and in doing so, show them respect. When you receive a gift, you send out a thank you note immediately. When someone texts you a kind note, you respond, no matter how trivial it seems. You are also marked with a sense of responsibility. People know they can trust you to get tasks done because you have proven yourself to be accountable. Your bills are paid on time, you don’t miss work, and you remember dates and appointments you’ve made. All of this might have to do with the fact that you are infinitely more organized than me (look at you, with that fancy planner!). You stick to your word. If you tell someone you will do something, and then something more appealing comes up, you ‘die to your flesh’ and keep your commitment. And you don’t go bragging about the sacrifices you’ve made for others; you quietly and humbly adhere to the original plan, without making people feel like they are keeping you from something more fun. There is a bravery in you that I don't see in myself. It's one that allows you to firmly stick up for your beliefs and to declare the truth, even when everyone around you says you're crazy. While I often avoid confrontation at all costs in order to be liked, you're not afraid to be honest because you know you have a security in heaven that can never be taken from you, and no reputation or title on Earth is worth giving that up. You care more about your FRIENDS than your FRIENDSHIPS (you know what this means), and will stick up for your friends more than I do now. Of course, you do it all in love. Most of all, Future Liana, you are a woman of God, and you recognize that every admirable quality that exists in you is thanks to your creator, who loves you more than you could ever understand. By His grace, you have learned humility, patience, kindness, honesty, and LOVE. You live for Jesus and Jesus alone. It’s funny – when people talk to you, they often leave not thinking about how great you are, but how great your God must be. The pride and pretension and selfishness and negativity that run rampant in my life now have all but disappeared from yours. Yes, you still are flawed, and with every passing year, you recognize more and more how far you have to grow. But it is through that humble realization that God draws you closer to Him. It is in our lowest moments that He shows us how little we can do, but how much He can do through us. And what power there is in that! Please keep running after Him, Future Liana. You will find nothing greater than Christ in this life, so don’t waste your time. Past Liana P.S. I can't wait to become you!