Riding My Son to Sleep

Usually we rock our son to sleep, but Silas' mom (my lovely bride) is out of town tonight. So after I gave him a bath (about 8 p.m.), I put Silas in the car, and we went to go get me something to eat for supper. He seemed so tired, and I thought he would go to sleep pretty quickly. It took some time, however, so I decided to drive around Goodlettsville, TN for a little while. In fact, I decided to drive down my old neighborhood where I spent the first 10 years of my childhood. Surprisingly, the neighborhood and the house have not changed much since 1987.

While I was driving around, country radio played a recent Brad Paisley hit called "Letter to Me." It's a creative, unique, and thought-provoking song about a grown man in his 30s who imagines what he would tell himself if he could write a letter to himself at 17 years old. Follow me?

Anyway, it got me to thinking. I'm in my 30s. What if I could write a letter to myself at 17 years old? As an older Michael, what would I say to Michael O'Neal, the teenager? What do I wish I knew then that I know now? Here are a few things I'd say in a letter to that 17 year-old kid...

• Michael, first and foremost, surrender your life completely to Jesus Christ. Love God, treasure God, and make it your greatest ambition to know God more and more every day. Don't ever get over the amazing grace God gives to you. View yourself as Jesus Christ's slave.
• Michael, commit yourself to a church, especially as you go off to college. Don't view church as a social club or as an institution that exists to meet your needs. Instead, learn to love God's family, and learn to serve in God's family. Church is not about you! Church is about fulfilling God's purposes with other Christ-followers.
• Michael, pursue a life of holiness and purity. God uses holy and pure people.
• Michael, fall in love with the Word of God. It is true, trustworthy, and without error. Read it, read it, read it--daily! Why would you not want God to speak to you every day?!?!
• Michael, pray about everything. Don't wait until you're 21 until you realize that you can do absolutely nothing without Jesus Christ (John 15:5). Memorize and mediate on John 15:5 right now! (John 15:5 is a verse in the Bible that quotes Jesus: "Apart from me you can do nothing.")
• Michael, last (but certainly not least), make it your priority to focus on the greatest cause in the world: showing and sharing the love of Jesus Christ with those who are not yet followers of Christ. If you fail to make this a priority, you will waste the next few years of your life. Don't waste your 20s! Don't waste your life!

Alright, that's my "letter to me." Who knew riding my son to sleep would lead to such serious reflection?!?!