Corona-cation Reflections: Part 2 – Youth is NOT wasted on the young.

Today is March 17, 2020, and my family is currently enjoying day 4 of our “social distancing” stay-cation.  Last night, we ate dinner on our back porch with a pleasant little fire burning in our chiminea.  We roasted marshmallows.  We let the girls stay up past their bedtime, playing outside until it was too dark to see, and then read them a couple of their favorite books while piled up together in their favorite chair.

All too often, I look at my children and see little people that I’m trying to shape and mold into capable, well-balanced, and caring adults.  Just a couple of weeks ago I even attended a six hour parenting seminar on “Raising Sturdy Kids” by Dr. Keith McCurdy.  Don’t get me wrong…it was incredibly beneficial.  Parenting should be proactive rather than reactive.  Kids need rules and responsibilities.  Many parents do their children a terrible injustice by neglecting to let their kids struggle and learn how to do hard things.   This is why so many “adults” today can’t handle the ordinary, everyday trials of life.  Life is hard and unpredictable.  Struggle is inevitable.  Pain is inescapable.  Raising mature adults who know what is good, true, and right and can choose to do what is good, true, and right when their emotions tell them otherwise should absolutely be our goal as parents.  HOWEVER, this little corona-cation has given me time to reflect on the incredible blessing of “youth”.   The blessing of being a child and being around children.

I’ve heard it said that “Youth is wasted on the young.”  I disagree.  When you are young, you are extraordinary.  Yes, you enter the world without knowledge and experience, but this naivety leaves you utterly without fear, without preconceptions, and without inhibitions.  It makes you playful and imaginative.  It gives you a sense of adventure.   It renders you full of wonder and curiosity.  What you lack in wisdom, you make up for in your belief, faith, trust, and hope.  Though you have much to learn, you also have much to teach.  Scripture says,

“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)

And it’s not just your mind.  Your young body is extraordinary, too.  You’re full of energy, you’re strong, you’re flexible, and you’re constantly growing and changing.  If you live long enough, life will eventually succeed in draining you of your energy.  No matter how much you exercise or how healthy you eat, your body is destined to become weak, stiff, and frail.  If you live long enough, you will experience numerous trials which will endeavor to leave you hard-hearted and uninspired.  They will attempt to steal your sense of adventure and render you empty of wonder and curiosity.  These trials reveal the primary conflict of life:

¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.“ ~Ephesians 6:12

Do not confuse the naivety of youth with goodness or innocence.  We were all born into a fallen world.  The world did not begin this way.  God created everything good.  But when sin entered the world, God’s good creation became corrupted.  Sin has corrupted every part of God’s good creation, and we are all born corrupted by sin.

BUT…we have been given everything we need to overcome the cynicism, doubt, distrust, and hopelessness that seeks to steal the joy of our youth as we walk through this current season of uncertainty and fear:

¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” ~ Ephesians 6:13-17

Jesus Christ is “the” way, “the” truth, and “the” life (John 14:6), NOT “a” way, “a” truth, and “a” life.  For “from Him and through Him and to Him are all things” (Romans 11:36).  Our purpose, our hope, our “armor” can only be found in Him.  Jesus said,

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” ~Matthew 18:3

Yesterday, I wrote about my husband, the man I love, and I how thankful I am for him.  Today, I thank God for the gift of my children and the beauty of their youth.

I pray this current trial does not pass in vain.  I pray that many will embrace this season as an opportunity to reflect on what’s really important.  May we all become like little children in our belief, faith, trust, hope, and joy.

© 2020 Andrea Jarrett