One of them is a Michael W. Smith song called "Place in This World." If you are younger than I am, you may not even know this song as it came out in 1990. I had it on cassette tape back then and listened to it until I wore that part of the tape out. It had become clear that I was not going to be an astronaut as I was already taller than their height limit with no sign of slowing down. I had not yet found my love of physics, so I didn't know what the future looked like. The line in this song that most resonated with me was "A heart that's hopeful, a head that's full of dreams, but this becoming is harder than it seems."
As I listened to it in my car this morning, I had many of the same thoughts I had back in the early 90s. I don't know what happens next at 47 any more than I did at 17. (And it is all the more jarring after 21 years of knowing exactly what I would be doing from day to day and year to year.) I have to trust God for that every bit as much now as I did then. And, I also thought of my students. They are in the same position I was at that age. Modern life doesn't make it easier; in fact, in many ways, it makes it harder. They have more access to information, which seems like it would be helpful; but it can bring about a form of cognitive overload called choice fatigue. Previous generations may have had to choose between college and a job or the military. If they went to college, they likely had only one or two options. Now, students apply to many colleges, and if the one they most want defers them, they are left with many choices they consider disappointments. They are told all of their eggs rest in this basket even though we know God's plan for them will not be thwarted by one decision. It's a lot of pressure, and it is worse than it was when we were kids. Some of them become practically paralyzed with indecision.
If you know a teenager, pray for them. "This becoming is harder than it seems" is just as true now as it was when Michael W Smith wrote it. And they likely still feel this:
"If there are millions down on their knees
Among the many, can You still hear me?Hear me asking, "Where do I belong?"Is there a vision that I can call my own?Show me, I'm
Looking for a reason
Roaming through the night to findMy place in this worldMy place in this worldNot a lot to lean onI need Your light to help me findMy place in this world."
Pray for them to know God can still hear them. Pray for to find that reason. Pray for God to give them the light they need. Pray for them to learn to trust Him in the process.
No comments:
Post a Comment