I have a couple of humans living in my house that are different from me. They don’t have a third eye ball or an extra limb growing from their shoulder. It’s worse. They were born sixteen and thirteen years ago respectively-- which clearly means they are (hold on to your hat): Teenagers.
Teenagers are definitely different from me. In their pre-teenager days, my boys used to think that I was the cat’s meow, now they think I am old mainly because I use clichés like… the cat’s meow. They used to wear the clothes I chose for them (Ben was so cute in his little giraffe sweater), and they got their hair cut when I said it was time to head to the barber (Alex was so cute in his “bowl” cut). Today, they would rather be trampled by a herd of giraffe than wear a sweater with a crocheted giraffe on the front and “bowl haircuts” are not among the approved styles at Great Clips. We don’t like the same music (My music taste is refined and dignified; their music is too loud, too unintelligible, and just plain too noisy. Hmmm that’s what my mom said about my music back in the day… weird!). We don’t like the same TV shows. We don’t visit the same websites. In some ways we speak in different languages. For instance, if I say the shoes I am trying on at Wal-Mart are “tight” that means I need to try on another, slightly bigger pair of shoes. If Alex says the shoes in the window of Foot Locker are “tight,” that means they are a very fine pair of shoes and well worth the $125 price tag. If Ben and I are talking about “gauges” I am more than likely referring to the oil level indicator or RPM recorder on my car’s dashboard, while Ben is probably speaking of someone’s ears. We have different tastes and different styles and use different words in conversation.
Teenagers are definitely different from me. In their pre-teenager days, my boys used to think that I was the cat’s meow, now they think I am old mainly because I use clichés like… the cat’s meow. They used to wear the clothes I chose for them (Ben was so cute in his little giraffe sweater), and they got their hair cut when I said it was time to head to the barber (Alex was so cute in his “bowl” cut). Today, they would rather be trampled by a herd of giraffe than wear a sweater with a crocheted giraffe on the front and “bowl haircuts” are not among the approved styles at Great Clips. We don’t like the same music (My music taste is refined and dignified; their music is too loud, too unintelligible, and just plain too noisy. Hmmm that’s what my mom said about my music back in the day… weird!). We don’t like the same TV shows. We don’t visit the same websites. In some ways we speak in different languages. For instance, if I say the shoes I am trying on at Wal-Mart are “tight” that means I need to try on another, slightly bigger pair of shoes. If Alex says the shoes in the window of Foot Locker are “tight,” that means they are a very fine pair of shoes and well worth the $125 price tag. If Ben and I are talking about “gauges” I am more than likely referring to the oil level indicator or RPM recorder on my car’s dashboard, while Ben is probably speaking of someone’s ears. We have different tastes and different styles and use different words in conversation.
Having said all that… I am still glad these boys are my sons. I’m proud of them. I love them more than you will ever know.
I’ve been around some other teens lately. On Monday, I had a basement full of the creatures known as Teenager. They were hanging out and cheering for the Jayhawks. It was a fun night as they allowed this old guy to join them for the Rock Chalk Jayhawk victory. All were polite. All ate lots of chips and salsa. All were having fun and yelling loud (especially when “Super Mario” sank that three pointer at the end of regulation), and when the last student left I thought, “We have some good teens at Central.”
On Sunday Night, I was in the Student Center as our teens led in the worship. We had students leading the worship songs, students playing the instruments, students praying, students reading scripture, students receiving the offering, and students singing specials (By the way, the song the Jessica Gibbons sang on Sunday night, she wrote! Wow! What a talented young lady.). When the service was all said and done, I thought, “We have some good teens at Central.”
A couple of weeks ago, I was in El Salvador with 20 of our students. Here’s what I observed: the students worked hard, rarely complained, displayed good attitudes, reached out to the people we were ministering with, and in all ways showed the love of Christ. When we returned I thought, “We have some good teens at Central.”
I’m encouraged! I don’t know if you’ve heard but “we have some good teens at Central!” These students are not “the church of tomorrow,” they are the church of today! They are talented, gifted, and already doing ministry.
If you are my age or older it’s easy to read about the “troubled youth in America” or watch a news story about some messed up kids and conclude that all students are the same. Not true. There are plenty of God-loving, God-pleasing, God-serving youth. You’ll see them sitting in the first few rows in church on Sunday, and for some of us they are sleeping in the bedroom down the hall.
Are our teens perfect? Nope (but, ahem… look in the mirror and that guy or gal staring back at you isn’t perfect either). Is it easy to be a teenager these days? Nope again. (Have you been in a middle school or high school lately?) Those two facts should cause us to pray for our students, and encourage them, and love them and when you have the opportunity hang out with them—you just might learn something. And while you’re at it—how about praying for Youth Pastor Cory and all our youth sponsors who are investing their lives in our students?! And if you do, the teens and I would agree that getting more people praying, loving, encouraging and standing with them in the situations of life would be very “Tight.” (And as we’ve already learned…that would be a very good thing!)
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