…about expectations

I have been roped into (quite willingly) being mentor to a Junior High School girl at the Christian School affiliated with the Church I attend.  I am in the process of trying to write a Bible Study to share with this 11-year old 6th grader.  That is a daunting task!  However it is my opinion that we, as adults, often underestimate the ability of youngsters to grasp truth and understand difficult concepts.  If we don’t treat them as stupid, I think we will find they are more than capable to handle anything we throw at them.  After all, we were all children once!

My youngest brother was born 4 days before my 11th birthday.  I also have a younger sister who is 6 1/2 years younger than me.  I was expected to help take care of my baby brother and younger sister.  By the time I was 12 years old, I was babysitting for neighbors for spending money.  In the many decades before me, children were held responsible for many tasks in the household and some were even expected to work at jobs to help provide for the household.  When President John Quincy Adams was only 14 years old, he served in Russia as secretary to the American Diplomat.  Would any of us send our 14 year old son to Russia to be an aide to a diplomat?!

We are not evolving into higher beings - or even smarter ones!  Each generation seems to expect less of the children and so they get what they expect.  Should we not, rather, be expecting more of them?  I refuse to talk to a baby with nonsense words.  Do we want them to learn to only speak gobble-de-gook?  Or do we want to teach them to think and speak in understandable language (not all people speak English)?

Okay!  Back to my point.  Teaching a 6th grader how to study the Bible is one of the most important tasks I will ever undertake, second only to making sure she undeniable, without a doubt in her own heart or mind, knows Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord!