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Words of encouragement to a young disciple

writing letter 384CFRev Suzanne Cooke shares with us a letter of encouragement she sent to a young man who has just attended his first Christian event. (His name has been changed).

Dear Harry 
 
I do hope that you have had a really great time!  You didn’t know, but I have been your Sponsor this week.  That means that every day, while you have been at May Camp I have been praying for you – although actually, you have been in my prayers since you were born!
 
I wonder how your week has been?  Beginning your journey as a disciple, a really close friend of Jesus, is such an exciting thing to do – it can be a journey that will last for the rest of your life! 
 
I know that you’ve been on lots of really great journeys with your Mum and Dad - you’ve been to some incredible places - been on lots of exciting adventures.  I bet you can remember times when you had the best day EVER – and then there were the days when things didn’t go so well (I’m thinking about Wales this year when your tent blew away!). 
 
Well, walking your ‘faith journey’ is a really just like that, like our life journeys – some days are really great and some days are not so great - there are ups and downs, good days and bad days.

Look in the bible (especially the Psalms) – that is just how it has always been!

There is so much I want to tell you! My journey has been a really unexpected one, I REALLY didn’t expect to be where I am now; but I LOVE working for God!  It’s what God made me to do I think.
 
But if I had to tell you one thing, if there was one ONE thing that I could leave with you, one thing that I would really want you to try and understand – it is this –
 

That God made you completely special and unique,
God made you exactly the way you are, every last bit of you,
God absolutely LOVES you, how he made you.

 
You do not need to change one little bit – not at all -  to be the EVERYTHING that God and Jesus want you to be!
 

Just strive to be best you that you can possibly be.

 
People will try and get you to be what they want you to be - but learn to listen to God, to hear God in your life, and try really hard to be yourself, to be that unique person God made you.
Then you will do what God wants you to do – you just will - that how it works.
 
Some people think that when you become a Christian, a person who thinks about Jesus’ life, who he was, what he said and came here to do -  that you are always really certain of everything you believe – well I don’t think that.  Most of the time there are things that you are not sure of, most of the time there are things that are hard to believe and to have ‘faith’ in. 
 
But that is exactly how is should be – hear God, learn to feel him in your life, trust what you feel in your heart and you will learn to know what is right and true
 
I think that’s all for now Harry but I am always here if you need me.
 
Love and prayers

Suzanne


Image above is courtesy of www.pixabay.com
 



Suzanne CookeRev Suzanne Cooke is the priest-in-charge of the Upper Tas Benefice in South Norfolk and the founder of Soul Circus, a regular creative, experimental service supported by the Diocese of Norwich and the Youth Task Force.  You can find out more at www.soulcircus.org.uk

The views carried here are those of the author, not of Network Norfolk, and are intended to stimulate constructive debate between website users. 
 
We welcome your thoughts and comments, posted below, upon the ideas expressed here. 
 

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