Jan
10
2019
The Lopsided Stool
Posted in Faith 2 Comments
The message came early in the morning.
A friend of mine wanted to inform me of something before I saw it on social media.
Another young person took their own life.
There was no name given; I did not need to know the name in order to pray.
My heart hurt.
I could not imagine the pain of this young person’s mother.
I could not imagine the pain of any siblings who would be grappling with the Why of it all.
I was so sad; I grieved for a young person I did not know.
This is happening far too often.
A permanent solution to a temporary problem, I once heard.
The pain is real; the struggle is real.
We know that, but no one seems to know what to do about it.
There is the perception of hopelessness.
There is the palpable pressure that seems to be closing in on them.
There is a sense of not being understood.
There is a sense of no one caring and no one listening.
Perceptions are tricky things.
Perceptions are not always true.
They seem so right.
They seem so valid.
What is happening to our young people?
There is the pressure to succeed.
There is the pressure to get stellar grades for that all elusive college scholarship.
There is the pressure to get into the right schools in order to get the best job.
There is the pressure to perform in sports from an early age.
There is the pressure to take AP classes so some general education classes are waived in college.
There is the pressure to be thin, popular, pretty, muscular, and fashionable.
There is the pressure to have it all together, when in reality, things are falling apart.
It is a lopsided stool.
There is a tendency to focus on one leg of the stool and not the others.
Academics, athletics, and popularity seem to be the legs of the stool the world offers.
A better, more balanced stool would have physical, emotional, and spiritual legs.
On this balanced stool, each leg gets attention.
Time is taken to make sure that the legs are fastened securely.
Any wobbling would be dealt with right away.
None of the three legs are neglected.
Often, to answer the problem of anxiety and pressure, school districts add mental health classes.
In order to add these classes, something must be taken away to make room in the schedule.
The arts are the first to go.
The removal of art and music is a terrible mistake.
I remember my old record player.
I remember having certain albums I would wear out because I played them so much.
The music touched a place inside me that nothing else could touch.
The music spoke to my fears, my sadness, my joy, and my confusion.
Music can penetrate and reach those unreachable places.
We do not need more academics.
We do not need more mental health classes.
We need something that is a bridge between the heart and the mind.
We need to teach our children that they are valuable.
Their value does not come from anything they have done or accomplished.
They are valuable because they are made in the image of God.
They are valuable because God created them for a purpose.
Our children need to know that they are deeply loved by the God who created them.
God sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for them.
God wants a relationship with them.
God is always there, He always cares, and He always listens.
Our children need to know that they matter greatly to God.
Our children need to know that they carry around a concealed dignity.
They possess dignity because they are covered with the fingerprints of God.
Our children need to know that God never leaves them and never forsakes them.
We have created a lopsided stool when our focus is on all the wrong things.
It is not that grades are insignificant.
It is not that athleticism is unimportant.
Each of those things come behind knowing God and loving Him first.
But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)
I came downstairs after I read the message that troubled me so.
I went over to my kitchen sink.
I looked out into the woods.
The back of my house faces south.
To the left of me, through the side porch doors, I saw the glorious colors of the sunrise.
From the east, the sun was coming up and making the shadows flee.
I looked back into the woods and saw the sunlight beginning to illuminate those shadows.
It was a gift from God to my weary heart.
I am here.
I see.
I know.
I hurt, too.
I was angry at this fallen world.
I was angry at the sin that rips a young person from this life far too early.
I was angry at the things the world elevates as matters of importance.
It’s all backwards, I said to the shadows in the woods.
Seek first My Kingdom.
Those words fell on my heart in a new way.
Apart from Him, it does not matter.
What is the condition of our children’s heart and soul?
How much time are we spending to help them understand their value?
They are priceless because they are God’s image bearers.
I have no idea why this young person took their life.
It may be far more complicated that I can ever fathom.
We must begin somewhere.
We begin by focusing on His kingdom first.
Then all the other things can be added.
Only then can we help our children see the Light that pierces the shadowy darkness.
Only then will they have real Hope.
HOPE (Michael Card)
Hope has been woven throughout all creation
An anchor that holds through the waves
Hope is the helmet of each noble soldier
For only the warrior who hopes can be brave
Hope you in the Lord and renew your strength
Soar you up on eagle’s wings
Tirelessly run the long race that’s set before you
Your life’s a song the Father sings
Hope that you can see is really no hope at all
Like children who see faces in the clouds
We hopefully listen to the silence of life
And find that it is shouting out loud
Hope you in the Lord and renew your strength
Soar you up on eagle’s wings
Tirelessly run the long race that’s set before you
Your life’s a song the Father sings
Though your life may seem to sound a dark and minor key
It will someday shift itself to major
And the lyric of your life will rhyme
With nothing less than joy
And you’ll find that hope is from
The One that you believe
Hope is an echo in the air all around you
It is the sound of heaven’s symphony
And the hope that is Jesus will never disappoint us
It tenderly tells us, to hope is to believe
Hope you in the Lord and renew your strength
Soar you up on eagle’s wings
Tirelessly run the long race that’s set before you
Your life’s a song the Father sings
Hope has been woven throughout all creation
It seems that kids in high school would benefit more from a class in Christianity, giving them hope, than in any other classes they would add. And of course, all references to that are not allowed. So SAD. And taking away classes in the arts is a tragedy–kids might find hope as they explore their creativity, as well as lessons in thinking in a creative way. We are in a a mixed up world, with priorities so turned around. Aren’t people listening and seeing what is happening to their kids? Drugs abound, also loss of the moral values I had and saw as a teen. It comes down to the family to provide what the teens need, including Christian values, church attendance, and Christian friends. Schools can’t “fix” the problems of today’s teens.
By the way, I saw on a site our neighborhood belongs to that at least 2 of the 4 teens that committed suicide during the last year were actually out of high school (freshmen in college).
My heart hurts, Sue, as I’m sure your heart hurts as well.
Gina