Boys, this summer has been a good one. You won’t remember it much, if at all, but trust me when I say that it has been one of the greatest beginnings for us. Your daddy & I are big dreamers. You boys probably didn’t know that. You probably thought we were always boring duds that don’t know exactly what cool is, but believe me when I say that we (or maybe mostly I) like to think in terms of life-changing rather than just the mundane.
Maybe this letter comes earlier to you than I thought it might, or maybe you’re reading this for the hundredth time hoping to find a little more than you did the last time. I hope it’s the latter. I hope I can teach you more & more with each passing day.
Live well, boys. Your daddy & I are 23 right now. In the great scheme of things, we are babies ourselves. We are starting something crazy this year that will probably get crazier soon enough, so I’m writing this today so that you know things weren’t always easy. And even if “easy” does come our way, life stuff is never really easy. Wrestling with truth & God is a tough task. But it must be done. And do it well, when you do. We can sing songs, recite verses, and drive you to church every week, but that doesn’t mean much when you have to live on your own or marry a woman or bring new precious life into the world, or better yet, start something crazy because of a dream you have. All of those things hold less meaning when your ambition is to love yourself & others, neglecting your Creator and not investing your life into everlasting things. Money will dry up. Luxuries will wither away. God stays with us forever.
And if you’re lost, know that God is near. In our wandering. In our trouble. In our defeat. In our normality.
You’re so small still. So much to learn & so many ways left to grow. I wish time would speed up sometimes so that I could say these words right to you, knowing you’ll have the mind to mull them over & let them dwell in your soul. But I know that when the day does come, I’ll only be wishing for you to be small once again so I can protect you a little longer from the chaos of this life. And in the future, you’ll find it hard to believe the expanse of love that I have for you. Today, it feels even vaster, deeper & wider than the day before. I hope you can see it still when this letter comes to you, and that you believe me when I say that by then, it will only be greater. And that love that dwells in me for you is even grander & more glorious that comes from the Father. He makes you new today. He has always made you new.
Live well, sweet boys. And dive headfirst into crazy dreams that make you think in life-changing ways. Those are always the dreams worth holding onto.
JANELLE DELAGRANGE 