Saturday, January 4, 2003
Saturday, January 4, 2003
After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers,
listening
to them and asking them questions.
Of course, some young people take longer to grow up than others. One comedian said, "My
son
is a typical American teenager--he's 32."
Even nice kids can drive a parent up a wall. Why? Because they have their own identities, their
own dreams and aspirations. Sometimes those dreams clash with our dreams for them.
Sometimes those dreams lead them into scary places. As someone has said, the best years of
parenting are when your kids are old enough to wash your car but too young to drive it.
Every parent knows how difficult it is to ease up on the apron strings, not because we do not
trust our young people, but because there is so much to fear.
Jesus was at that age in Jewish life when a boy begins taking on some of the responsibilities
of
adulthood. He was not trying to hurt his parents when he stayed behind at the Temple. He was
simply following his heart, and sometimes following your heart can pose some real problems
for
those who love you and feel responsible for you. Even good kids can drive you crazy.
(Luke 2.46
NRSV)
Sam Levenson once said, "Childhood is a time of rapid changes. Between the ages of twelve
and seventeen, a parent can age thirty years." Someone else has said, "In these times, the
accent may be on youth, but the stress is on parents." Robert Orben put it this way: "Sound
travels slowly. Sometimes the things you say when your kids are teen-agers don't reach them
till
they're in their 40s."
Dear God, thank you for the children in my life. Yes, at times, they drive me crazy, but they are
a
gift from you. Amen.
