What I Would’ve Told Her.

Jul 08, 2025

It’s been four years.

I don’t know what I would’ve told 22-year-old Reanna on that sixteen-hour drive from Mississippi to Virginia.

Maybe, “beware of Knoxville”—but only because that stretch of the trip was the absolute worst.

I came to serve as a missionary and help plant a church, wide-eyed and expectant. I thought I knew what I was walking into.
I didn’t. Not even close.

There have been mountaintop moments that felt like miracles—
and gut-wrenching lows that nearly made me quit.

But I think that’s just life.
Especially life with Jesus.

Since moving to Virginia, I’ve built some of the sweetest friendships.
The kind that change you.
I’ve also lost more than I expected.

I’ve dreamed big, wild, kingdom-minded dreams—
and I’ve had to lay some of them down.

I’ve found treasure in hidden places.
I’ve waited, watched, and wrestled through seasons of silence.

The sunsets here are stunning,
but they usually show up after long stretches of dark, cloudy skies.

Living for Jesus is beautiful—
and it’s hard.

Dying to self is hard.
Staying soft when you want to shut down is hard.
Loving the unlovable is hard.

But we get to choose our hard.
And I want to keep choosing the one that leads me back to Him,
over and over again.

you’re not alone.

Hit the 💛 if this resonated with you, and leave a comment or reply:
What would you tell your younger self before a big leap of faith?

Let’s keep showing up. Let’s keep choosing our hard—together.