An Open Letter to Justin Bieber

Dear Justin,

I wish you could have seen the excitement on my daughter's face when she received tickets to your concert in Detroit, Michigan for Christmas in 2012.  Amid the boxes and torn wrapping paper were gifts... all things that she had asked for.  Things that had been on her "wish list" for months.  But nothing... nothing could have prepared her for the BIG REVEAL her dad and I had planned when we joyfully pulled out that "one more gift" that had been in hiding for nearly a month.

I wish you could have seen the joy in her smile and the tears in her eyes.  It was, indeed, a dream-come-true for her.

I remember when you had performed in concert once before in our great state.  Thanksgiving of 2011.  I remember the day well as she begged, "Mom, can we just drive to Detroit so that I can know what it feels like to be in the same CITY as Justin."

I laughed.

I remember what it felt like to be 11.  If the hundreds of Michael Jackson posters were any indication... I, too, had an idol.  I, too, had a dream of being in the very presence of greatness.  I remember.

We sat among the screaming fans when we watched your movie and we spent long hours looking at magazines, books and websites that promoted your work.  And to be honest, the attraction for us... to you... went beyond the good looks, sweet smile, good hair, and fashion sense. 

We saw something in you.
Something good.  Something pure.  Something innocent.
And that was equally attractive.

The way you prayed with your friends at a pizza joint in Canada.
The way you talked about your Christian beliefs and the God you served before anything else.
The way you genuinely respected your parents and grandparents.

We watched you grow up.

And maybe... just maybe... we expected something more.
Maybe we felt entitled somehow by the success you had created on your own.
Maybe we wanted more from you than you had to give.

Because you have had the "joy" of being in the limelight.

The "joy"?  Or is it?

Growing up is hard.
And I imagine that growing up in the public eye is harder.

And who are we to judge?

But can I say this one thing?

We miss you.
We miss the Justin that sang "Baby Baby Baby" on our radio stations on an hourly basis.
We miss the boy who grew up too fast but didn't have to.

Many of us feel your pain.
Many of us have been there.
But it doesn't have to end here.

Our sins are numerous too.  Fortunately for us they're not on display for all to see.
For us, they're not broadcasted for the world to judge first.

And hear my heart... I am not standing in judgement.

I am a woman who remembers what it's like to be 19 years old.
I am mama who's heart is torn for her 13-year-old daughter who desperately wants to continue to support you all the while feeling conflicted by the onslaught of negative media coverage.
I am a parent who prays daily that her child will make good decisions and wise choices.

You see, Justin, the world is full of people who are desperately searching for someone to follow.  Someone to look up to.  Someone who can be trusted and someone who is a world-changer.

But don't ever confuse that with what God wants for your life.

God created you on purpose... for a purpose.
And He loves you... radically loves you!

You don't have to be what you think everyone wants you to be.
You don't have to do what others expect you to do.

You only have to be concerned with being all that God has called you to be.

Justin... He loves you!
Romans 5:8: "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Justin... He forgives you!
2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

Justin... He accepts you!
Ephesians 2:8: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."

You are 19.
And I pray that I am never judged on what I did at 19.
Or 25.
Or 40.

And make no mistake, I don't condone the things you are doing.
I'm not making an excuse for bad behavior.

But I am saying...
You are loved.
You are forgiven.
You are accepted.

And you are needed.

Needed by God to shine your light in a dark world.

And so as a mama of a teenage daughter who wrestles daily with her commitment to follow you I pray. 

I pray that God would show you His mercy.
I pray that God would radically capture your heart and return you to Him.
I pray that God would reveal Himself to you so that you can make the changes necessary to prove to the world that this... this did not kill you.  This did not destroy you.  Because you are the son of the King and you, who were created in His likeness, will not only recover, but will be strengthened because of His goodness and grace.

Don't give up.

Keep fighting.

It's gonna be worth it.  I promise.

May you find JOY in your JOurneY,