Modern Day George.

Last night was the beginning of Orbit for this school year. Orbit? What's Orbit. Let me fill you in, incase you didn't read my blog last year. It's the midweek youth group event at my church, and it's totally amazing. It was lovely last night. Mike talked to us about how the expectations for teenagers have been getting lower and lower as the years have passed. He compared George Washington, who was a major in the military by age 19, to the typical 15-19 year old kid who is at home, completing their bare-minimum requests from their schools, families, or friends.

Clean your room.

Brush your teeth.

Do your homework.

Don't be foolish.

Don't drive distracted.

Be respectful to adults.

Back in the day, teenagers WERE considered adults. In fact, there was no such thing as a teenager. A person was either a kid or an adult, and adulthood usually came around age 14 or 15. Here we are, in America, being asked to do chores, schoolwork, and stay out of trouble. Yes. We can, and should do that. We are more than capable of it. But...shouldn't we reach higher? We have potential for so much more than that.

Did you know that every major Christian revival has started with young people?

Young people are passionate about life. I know I am. Why not channel that passion into something that can make a difference in our world today? It's not that we are not capable of aiming higher, it's just that we aren't expected to, so most teenagers don't bother.

I know that I (and I'm speaking for lots of other people my age out there) want to be exceptional. We only have one life, and we are the ones who decide what to do with it. Why not live drastically? Growing deeper and stronger, spiritually and relationally, are the keys to actions that make a difference. Who really wants to be just like everyone else? I know I don't. This is a world of individuals, not one giant mob. As a teenager, I know it's time to make our faith our own and find something to channel our passion into. It's something to think about. I know I am..

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7.

-cayliealane.