A Letter to My Graduate

Dear Julia,

You are my surprise blessing.

In 2003, I was already a mother of two small boys. Another baby was the last thing on my mind. But God knew I needed a third child.

A few months later I was both surprised and delighted when the doctor said you were a girl. I was certain you were going to be another baby boy, but God knew I needed a little girl and so He gave me you.

After you were born, I was surprised at how different you were from your big brothers. You didn’t sleep through the night for the entire first year of your life, didn’t walk until you were nearly a year and a half old, and didn’t talk much at all (except for the word NO) until after your 3rd birthday. 

As you grew, the surprises continued – for example, I was surprised how the same little girl I didn’t think would ever learn to talk had to sit at a table all by herself in 1^st grade because she wouldn’t stop talking to her classmates.

When you were in jr. high, you surprised me by suddenly becoming a vegetarian – and then I was even more surprised when you stuck with that diet for several months.

I could tell a lot of stories about how you’ve surprised me over the years. In fact, you surprise me so much that now I feel surprised when you aren’t surprising me!

But Julia, as surprising as you are to me, it’s important to know that you’ve never once taken God by surprise. Not one single time.

You see, God didn’t just decide on a whim in 2002 to create you.   

The Bible says in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 4 that God chose you as His own before the foundation of the world. For something to be chosen means it must be known because logically you can’t choose something if you don’t know it. Julia, this means that before God spoke the sun and the moon and the stars into existence, He already knew you. You were not a mystery to God.

Furthermore, the same God who knew you before the foundation of the world, created you in His image.

Ephesians 2:10 says that you are God’s workmanship. Another word for workmanship is masterpiece. Often, we talk about things like sunsets, mountain peaks, or Saturn’s rings as being God’s masterpieces, and yet the Bible never refers to any part of nature God’s masterpiece.  That title goes to you and me! Only humans were created in the image of the Creator.

A masterpiece is not just any old thing thrown together, rather it’s created with great care and intention. That’s exactly how God created you …  with intention. He gave you those beautiful green-gray eyes and your contagious laugh, and even though all your pediatricians said that based on your childhood growth charts you were going to be a very tall person, God ensured you would stop growing at 5 feet 3 ½ inches because that was exactly how tall He wanted you to be.

God took as much care creating your personality as He did with your physical features. He was the One who put that love for all animals in your heart and He gave you an overabundance of creativity. Julia, you are exactly who God intended for you to be.

But God just didn’t choose you before the foundation of the world or create you with intention, God also gave you a destiny.

The second half of Ephesians 2:10 says that you created for good works which God prepared beforehand so that you should walk in them.

For us, the future is unknown., Anything that is unknown has a way of making us feel anxious, and that’s why going into a new season of life can feel scary. And yet, God who knew you from before time began and created you to be a unique reflection of Himself, has also promised that He has a good plan for your life.

It’s important remember is that God isn’t orchestrating your life as you live it. He doesn’t wake up each morning and willy-nilly throw together things for you to do, nor does He let you go along doing your own thing until you run into problems and then step in with a solution. Instead, Julia, God planned every single detail of your life out beforehand, from the big moments to the small ones. He even planned out that you would be right here on this stage at this very moment receiving your high school diploma!  

That’s why as you think about your future, you can trust God already knows everything that will happen to you. And girl, if God’s got all the tiny details planned out, then you can trust He’s got it all under control too. No need to fret or worry!  

Proverbs 31 verse 25 says, “She laughs without fear of the future.”  My sweet girl, as you head out into this great big world of God’s, this is my prayer for you. The future is bright. Go with confidence.

God’s got this … and He’s got you too!

Love, Mom