Have you ever had to think of things differently to really understand them?  I am sure we all have.  I work with teenagers.  Teen’s and adults are on completely different levels with respect to maturity, physical development, and in their relationship skills.  Have you ever thought that for most of us there is no way we will ever physically leave this Earth…assuming that you (the reader) are not some billionaire who can afford to purchase a ticket to space.  But in all seriousness, adults and teenagers share a common sandbox.  Sure the Earth is large…but in reality we find that we cross paths with each other all of the time.  Here is a simple example of an interaction you would typically find between adults and students.

PLACE: Chic-Fil-A

You and your spouse decide to hit the Chic-Fil-A for a bite to eat.  You order the spicy chicken sandwich and your spouse orders the regular chicken sandwich with no-pickles.  You sit down at your table with your beverages and waffle fries and begin to enjoy your meal.  After you have taken one bite of your sandwich you see the door fly open and 6 teenagers walk in the door (they always travel in packs).  Of course they have entered into the establishment in a grand way…loud…self centered…and broke.  They proceed to the counter and order 6 waters and a single milk shake (that they all plan to share).  As you watch this unfold you are filled with questions…why are they here…why are they so loud…why do they not have any money to eat…which brings you back to your original question…why are they here.

You disconnect from this scene and re-engage your spouse for the continuation of your meal.  As you take your second bite you notice out of the corner of your eye that your little quiet corner is about to gain 6 more inhabitants.  As the teenagers all pile into the table next to you and your spouse you can feel your blood pressure begin to rise.  The teenagers begin to talk loud and use their arms and legs for emphasis as they are swapping stories (which by the way is very normal 🙂 ).  You look at your spouse with the face that says “can you believe this?”.  You turn and look at the teenagers and with an expression that says “why did you sit next to me” and begin to shake your head in protest.  You decide to get up and relocate you and your spouse to another table on the other side of the room.

We have all been here.  The truth of the matter is that although we share the Earth with teenagers we also share smaller more cozier spaces with them.  What if we decided to not shake our heads at them and engage them? Engage them you say?…yeah engage them.  Do you know that many teenagers like to talk and can carry on a great conversations.  Not only that, most are technical wizards.  If you have a problem with a piece of technology chances are they can fix it.  What would have happened if you would have engaged them by saying “hey guys, can I order you some more milk shakes”?  They would immediate look at you as if you were some sort of supper hero or the Greek god of milkshakes.  You could have then said hey, why don’t you guys bring your table over here and tell us what movie my spouse and I should go see tonight.  This could then open the door to getting some killer advice on a movie to watch but more importantly it could open the door to sharing your faith.

I think when we deal with teenagers we have to remember two things:

1.  We share a room with them…it’s called planet Earth.

2. They are young people who will one day do as they have been taught…remember we are their teachers!

Take opportunities to get to know these future adults….get to know their world.  If we want to have a chance to continue to exhibit Christ to this next generation we must be willing to take some uncomfortable steps…JUMP IN…and be blessed!