God Saw You Before The Storm, And After It, Alvin Barnes of Jackson, Mississippi.

Alvin Barnes of Jackson, Mississippi, would say this first.

God saw you before the storm and after it.

You are not a surprise to Him. Your mistakes, your wrong turns, the nights you cried alone, the choices you wish you could undo. He saw all of it and still chose you.

Back then, you thought every bad moment meant you were broken beyond repair. You thought pain meant punishment and setbacks meant God was ignoring you. What you did not understand is that storms are classrooms. They are not proof that you are abandoned. They are proof that you are being prepared.

I would tell my younger self

You are not cursed. You are not forgotten. The storm you are in now is not the end of your story. God has already seen you on the other side of it, and He is walking you there step by step.

Learn Fast And Forgive Faster

There are some lessons you will learn the hard way. That part is unavoidable. What you can control is how long you stay stuck in the same place.

Learn fast. When something hurts you, sit with it long enough to ask why. When a pattern keeps showing up in your life, pay attention. When God closes a door, quit trying to break it back open.

But here is the real key

Forgive faster.

Forgive the people who lied on you.

Forgive the ones who left when you needed them most.

Forgive the system that failed you.

And do not forget to forgive yourself.

Holding on to anger does not protect you. It poisons you. You think you are building a wall to stay safe, but really, you are building a prison that traps you with the very pain you are trying to escape.

Younger Alvin, you will lose time replaying the same moments in your mind, wishing you could go back and fix them. You cannot. What you can do is decide that your heart will not stay stuck there. Learn the lesson. Release the bitterness.

Keep your soul light so you can keep moving.

Keep A Journal

If I could place one simple tool in your hands earlier, it would be a notebook.

Keep a journal.

Write down what you feel when you cannot say it out loud.

Write the prayers you are afraid are too big.

Write down the wins, even the small ones.

Write what you survived.

One day, you will look back and see how far you have come. You will see chapters you thought would kill you, and you will realize you outlived them. Your journal will become your evidence that God was there all along.

For Alvin Barnes of Jackson, Mississippi, journaling has become a way to process pain, capture purpose, and track progress. For my younger self, it would have been a lifeline. So if you are reading this, maybe you are where I once was. Start today. One line. One page. Let your future self have a record of your growth.

Choose Mentors Who Tell You The Truth

You will not make it alone. You are gifted, but you are not all-knowing. You are strong, but you are not unbreakable.

Choose mentors who tell you the truth.

Not just the ones who clap for you, but the ones who correct you.

Not just the ones who benefit from you, but the ones who cover you.

Younger Alvin, you will chase approval from the wrong people because you crave validation. You will assume that anyone who praises you is for you. That is not always true.

The right mentors will do three things

They will challenge your excuses.

They will confront your ego.

They will remind you of who you are when you forget.

Listen to people who have been where you are trying to go. Listen when they say slow down. Listen when they say heal. Listen when they say you are worth more than what you are settling for.

Your Pace Is Your Pace

In your younger years, you will constantly feel behind.

Everyone else seems to be hitting milestones faster.

They are graduating sooner, making more money, getting married, starting careers, and posting highlight reels that make you question your whole life.

To my younger self

Your pace is your pace.

You are not late. You are not disqualified. You are on a different assignment. Your path will not look like anyone else’s because your purpose is not their purpose.

Some doors will open for them before they open for you. That is fine. Some doors will open for you that will never open for them. That is also fine.

Stop comparing your chapter three to someone else’s chapter twenty. Focus on being faithful with what is in front of you today. What is yours will not miss you when you are walking in obedience and growth.

Purpose Requires Patience And Grit

Younger Alvin, you will think purpose feels like a constant high, a clear road, a nonstop feeling of being called.

The truth

Purpose often feels like work.

It feels like showing up when you are tired.

It feels like being misunderstood while you build.

It feels like fighting for a future no one else can see yet.

Purpose requires patience and grit.

Patience when progress is slow.

Grit when life hits you harder than you thought you could bear.

There will be days when you question everything. There will be seasons when you feel like you are rebuilding from the ground up again and again. Do not quit. You are not just trying to survive a moment. You are building a legacy.

From the eyes of Alvin Barnes of Jackson, Mississippi, I can see now that every detour, delay, and difficulty was shaping me for the people I am called to serve. The same is true for you. Your trials are not wasted. They are training.

Keep Going

So if I could sit with my younger self, I would end with this

Keep going.

You will not always feel strong, but you will always be carried.

You will not always feel worthy, but you will always be loved.

You will not always understand the why, but God will always have a way.

Learn fast and forgive faster.

Keep a journal.

Choose mentors who tell you the truth.

Remember that your pace is your pace.

And never forget that purpose requires patience and grit.

https://medium.com/@alvinmbarnes/god-saw-you-before-the-storm-and-after-it-alvin-barnes-of-jackson-mississippi-c5276a8e9661