-Letters To Myself Part 1: Dear 18 Year Old John-

Dear 18 Year Old John (March 30, 1996),

First off, wipe that stupid "I know more than you do" look off your face because it makes you look like an idiot. This, "know it all" thing is really going to cause problems for you later. It's good that you have identified your gifts and calling and that you did it at a young age but you have failed to identify your shortcomings and weaknesses. This has made you believe you are better than you really are, (hence that stupid smile on your face). But what's worse than that, John, is that you tend to judge other people's weaknesses on your strengths. You expect more out of people than you yourself are willing to give. When you're a little older, you're going to wish you learned how to love people for who they are much sooner. You still struggle with this into your early 30's at least.

Humility doesn't come naturally to you, John. That means you actually have to work at it. The last thing the world needs is another arrogant pastor with a "holier than thou art" attitude and that's what you're well on your way to becoming. (Sorry, the Christian rock-star thing isn't going to work out.) John, the good news is that you have the "Love the Lord you God" part down okay, but you still struggle with the "Love your neighbor" part. But you'll learn. It will take a lot of painful introspection though. You'll come face to face with some very ugly truths about yourself that you'll have to choose whether to acknowledge or to ignore. It won't be easy.

The good news is you will get to know some amazing people and have some amazing experiences along the way. Enjoy the music thing you're doing right now. Learn all you can about it because it will play a major role in your life in the future. Meeting Pastor Chris was no accident either. You owe him more than you could ever repay. Listen and learn from him but know that you will make the mistake of trying to become just like him. Resist this. God created you to be you, not to be another Chris Sonksen. That isn't to say you shouldn't learn from him and try to take on some of his traits. It just means God wants you to be YOU.

There's other people you haven't met yet too. People like Billy Phipps who will teach you how to love people better without even knowing he's doing it. You will get so much out of knowing him that you won't even realize until years later. But that's how it is sometimes. You don't even know when you're learning. You just look back a few years later and realize who taught you this or that and often times lately the answer has been: Billy. You'll also learn a ton of things from women like Laura Sonksen, Annie Phipps, and Sonya Henry who will have had no clue how big an impact they made on you. People like Jim Hill and Steve Tiscareno will teach you about temperament and character on whole new levels and you'll make friends that will be there for you in some very difficult times.

Yes, John you have a long, long way to go at 18 years old and I can confidently say that at the age of 31, you'll still have a long, long way to go. But press forward. You have so much potential to change the world one life at a time. But potential simply means that you haven't done anything yet. Potential is like a reserve gas tank. Until you decide to use it, you'll never know how far you can go. So quit talking about all the things you are capable of doing someday and get to actually doing them. Because until you do, you just wasting oxygen. Don't WAIT for the future, MAKE the future, John. Because you've wasted too much time already.

Truly,

-John Hall (age 31)

P.S.

I could tell you about who you're going to marry, (I know that, that question consumes about 85% of your head-space right now), but if I did I would rob you of some serious emotional and personal growth. But I will tell you this; you are very, VERY happy.