Dear Girl #02 - Your Story Is Your Superpower.

A letter to my younger self about accepting and opening up about the past.

Jul 26, 2025

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Surprise! I added a VoiceOver to this post. I recorded it with my iPad so it’s not high-quality audio or anything. But I wanted to give it a try. Hope you like!

*In this series of letters to my younger self is all the advice, encouragement, etc, I wish someone had imparted on me when I was growing up from a scared and traumatized little girl to a lost and hurting young woman who didn’t know God. I write these letters in hopes it will bring healing, not only to myself, but to others needing to hear these same words. 🤎 (Spoiler alert: God saved me from the pit!)*

Dear Girl,

I see you — afraid to let people see the “real” you, afraid of what they might say about your past, afraid of the blame and shame. I see you and I am you.

Though your “story” is not WHO you are, it has played a major role in shaping you and has affected every part of your life. Even though (perhaps because) you’ve had a traumatic background and painful experiences, it is essential to start “owning” it. Does this mean you take the blame for those things that were out of your control? Does it mean the sins others committed against you were your fault? Not at all!!

Embracing your past with all those experiences, memories, and patterns that shape you, just means accepting it. It happened. You can’t do anything to change the past. But, it does not have to define your future or who you become.

When you begin to embrace and share your story, it begins to lose its power over you

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5). Jesus — the light- has power over darkness (He overcomes it!) and you can bring your darkness to Him. Jesus is not surprised or taken aback by our darkness. He dwelt as a man among us and knows our struggles and temptations. The Enemy would love to keep you in the dark and keep you stuck.

It won’t be easy to talk about the trauma at first. I know it seems terrifying now to even think of telling anyone what happened, but once you do it will be like a great weight has been lifted. You will start feeling lighter and lighter, more and more free.

done in Procreate by Cindy Rodriguez of The Heart Stuff Co.

So much good can come from such evil

“As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people.” Genesis 50:20 BSB

God can use any detail of your life (no matter how big or small, whether positive or negative) to do great things in the hearts and lives of others and also for you.
Out of your pain — the experiences you would rather forget, the things you may be ashamed of — may come your biggest passions and dreams.
Your story can inspire and help someone with similar experiences to yours.
You can reach people no one else can in a way that no one else will.

God’s strength shines in our weakness

How often have you heard the phrase “God gives His toughest battles to His strongest soldiers?” Girl, the truth is the opposite — God does His best work with the weak ones! In our weakness and flaws is where He shines the most because that is where He can display HIS strength, power, and glory the most.

His grace and love fill the cracks in our souls. He redeems and makes all things new. Granted, it will not happen overnight and it may take a while to be able to receive His love. I know it’s been that way for me and I still struggle with it, but it is only by His grace and strength that I am even able to write this today.