TOO SOON

 Our children seem to be growing up more and more quickly.  My precious only granddaughter has already entered the pre-puberty period of sassiness.  I well remember her mother at this stage, but she was older.  Due to diet, environment, and a plethora of other reasons, children are going through puberty earlier and earlier--especially girls.  It makes me incredibly sad for them.  They are running for the line of being considered a teen as hard as they can and I am thinking---be careful what you wish for!  With the entrance into becoming an adult physically comes a whole new spectrum of adult issues and problems.  All of us women know where these girls are headed and wish we could convince them---being a little girl is a wonderful time of life.  BUT---we are pushed--pulled--and enticed into adulthood by the media, by society, by our peers, and even our culture.  The window of the carefree years pre-puberty are getting shorter and shorter.  The most carefree days of our lives are quickly dwindling from a decade or more--to at times less than a decade.  What are we allowing to happen to the childhood of our society?  My question is--What is the hurry?

It is the age old condition of man to want what he does not have.  We come into this world programmed to look around us for the greener grass or what seems to be greener grass.  Many times we get into that greener field to only discover it is filled with bitterweed.  We jump the fence only to find once we are over---there is no going back.  Truly what is done--is done.  It is the age old scenario of when you see something--you cannot unsee it.  I really wish I could impart this wisdom to my young mother friends, but I am past the point of being listened to.  Our society is not prone to honoring the hard won wisdom of their seniors.  If I could have one wish for my grands, it would be they could grow up in the age of innocence I was blessed with.  Mayberry---was a wonderful playground---and no one was in any hurry to push you into the adult world.  Perhaps I have rose colored glasses---but there was much to be said for keeping a tight rein and letting children be children.  At the grand old age of 75---I still remember all the hours of carefree playing and the slower paced life.  How I would love to give all my grands a short burst of the good old days, but alas---what has now been seen  cannot be unseen.  They would consider those gold years of my youth boring--NO internet---no electronic games---and very little television.  Lots of reading, hour upon hour in the outdoors, and a great deal of interaction with others.  Does not sound boring to me, but who am I to know?

So it is with man---once we cross a line--good or bad---we have ventured into new territory--often times we wish we had never gone there, but can we go back?  Thankfully the answer with God is a resounding YES!  With repentance God is able to redeem---and we can begin anew.  We have explored this theme many times, but I never cease to be amazed at how many times God gives example after example of His ability to redeem even the poorest of choices.  He is a God of redemption!  With Him---we can go back and wipe the slate clean--and start again.

"I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,

your sins like the morning mist.

Return to me,

for I have redeemed you."

Isaiah 44:22