What I wish I knew when I was 18...

My husband wrote this for a friends son who just turned 18. I thought it was beautiful.

I wish that when I was 18 , I would have had people in my life that would have made such a big deal about such an important time in my life. Truly you are at a time that will influence a lot of what happens during the rest of your time on earth. That may sound kind of overwhelming, but it's not as bad as it sounds. I'm just glad that it was only a couple of years before that ,that I had made Jesus my Savior, and was trying daily to make Him my Lord as well.
I just wish now,( and here it comes) that I had known then, how important it is to realize that:
" God has a purpose for my life"
As simple as that may seem, quite often we allow our plans or the expectations of others to influence us rather than being open to what our Maker has designed us for. Richard Warren in his book "Purpose Driven Life" says that "being successful and fulfilling your life's purpose are not at all the same issue! You could reach all your personal goals, becoming a raving success by the world's standard, and still miss the purposes for which God created you."

Remember that you are significant, you are unique, that you are the only you, and only you can fulfill the purpose of God that He has for you. I have heard many adult say they have spent their whole life climbing the ladder of success, only to find they had their ladder against the wrong wall! When all is said and done, only the words of our Lord and Master commenting on how we ran our race in this life, as He welcomes us into the next, will matter.

My prayer for you, is that you would have the wisdom to put your ladder against the right wall"