Britny Belskis: How far I’ve come by looking fear in the face

A month ago, a friend of mine told me about an assignment that he had to do for a class he was taking. He told me the assignment was to write a letter to yourself. He explained that the idea was to see how far you have come from where you were before.

It was also meant to give yourself encouragement and a whole new perspective on one’s life. My friend told me that sometimes we don’t want to hear something from others, but we will listen to that small voice inside of us. I was intrigued by the assignment and thought, “Hey that is such a powerful way to see how far one has grown in their lifetime.”

So a couple days later, I wrote a letter, sealed it in an envelope and sent it.

Britny,

Look how far you have come from where you were before! You made it, Britny! You had many hurdles to overcome. A few of these hurdles that you have made it through have made who you are today. For example, Britny, you had to overcome an eye condition in your short 27 years of life. Most people would have stayed in bed with the covers over their head, not wanting to deal with the diagnoses.

Britny, you haven’t let this condition keep you from living your life. Also, Britny, look how brave you are. You have overcame the power of fear and anxiety that has had a prominent part in your life. Through “Celebrate Recovery,” you have learned the techniques that have helped you through panic attacks.

Don’t forget those learning disabilities that you thought would have been a death sentence to your academics. You made it through and got your AS degree in early childhood education. Now you’re going after your dream to become a youth pastor. You have conquered all those giants with only one sling-shot.

Britny, remember that time when your friend brought you to the youth group she had at her church? After that first night going to youth group, you were hooked! After that, you got involved in everything that the youth program offered you as a teenager. That was the first of you starting to get involved in mission trips around the state, getting involved with local outreaches and as well as becoming a youth leader in the youth ministry. That was where your love of serving teens started.

Britny, don’t forget the miracles that have been in your life. Like the time when that funding was available for Southeastern University, or the time when you had people pray over you for healing of your eyes and you had the hope of that promise. All these God gifts have been the glue to where your spiritual growth has brought you to this part in your life.

So, here is your challenge for the week: Sit down and write a letter to either your past, present or future self. I am sure that you will find the sunshine that brightens up your life and positive moments that have enhanced it.

So dear friends, I leave you with this little message: You gain strength, courage,and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, in the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, “I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.”