Forget Me? Forget Me Not?

Traveling home from work on the shuttle today, I got to thinking about the Cosby Show. There's an episode where Vanessa goes off to have "Big Fun" in Baltimore with her friends, totally blowing off the fact that their car had been stolen. Claire, especially, was very angry with Vanessa when she came home and took off screaming behind her up the stairs... if you haven't seen this episode, just go ahead and log off my blog and never return.

So, I got to thinking again and started asking myself questions: why was Claire so angry? would i be as angry? is it right/fair to be so angry? i'm sure Claire/I did something stupid at that age...why didn't Claire remember? aren't we suppose to remember what it's like to be that age so that we understand and aren't as angry? That's when the scripture from 1 Corinthians 13:11 popped into my mind and I realized that YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO FORGET!

1 Corinthians 13:11 says "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." A child doesn't necessarily truly comprehend the associated consequences that follow their actions. Children act more on impulse and strive to achieve instant gratification. As they become older, they begin to understand that thinking through their words and actions and working to obtain total satisfaction and fulfillment are much more rewarding in the long run. Once you become a man/woman, it SHOULD be difficult to speak, understand, and/or think as a child because you have put away those childish things. If this doesn't happen, how then can you properly rear up a child?

However, some people never reach this level of understanding...the understanding of a man/woman. And so, I say to you: if your response to your child's or a young person's irresponsibility and foolishness is that of "oh i can relate to them...i KNOW how that is heh heh heh or it's ok that they are young and dumb so no need to discipline them," then maybe you have yet to put away your childish things.

Thanks, Claire.