Baby Baby

Nope, I'm not thinking of the Amy Grant song. Nope, I'm not pregnant (that would be some crazy miracle!). No, my sister is not expecting. Oh, and I'm not talking about my cute 7 year old.

I am actually talking about me.

There is a strange phenomena that has followed me since I started ministry leadership 15 years ago. I am constantly having people point out, "You are so young!" This is a perplexing situation.

I thought it would end when I graduated college and immediately started teaching at a school for gifted children. It didn't. I thought when I got married, surely the comments would end then. Not a chance. When I became a mom I was sure I had finally arrived into the 'not so young' crowd. Again, I was wrong. Now I am in my mid thirties and am constantly being told "you are so young" or the classic, "you are such a baby".

Gee wiz, really?!

Then it dawned on me. Maybe people are trying to nicely say I am immature. No one has ever told me that I am immature. In fact, I have experienced many saying I am "wise beyond my years" (whatever that means). So can I be both wise and immature?!

The writer of the book of Hebrews actually talks about maturity and God's word. This is fascinating:

There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. (Hebrews 5:11-6:1)

I thrive on feasting on God's word, and delving into the meat. When I find myself teaching "milk" I get bored (let alone my poor students!). Though I lack perfection (by far) I think by this definition of mature I am no longer "so young".

There may never be a day where I have 'arrived' and am no longer seen as young. Perhaps I will know I am fully mature and 'of age' when Jesus brings me home. Till then, I look forward to the day a younger person sees me as 'old.' Funny enough, I don't go retorting to others, "you are so old," but I look forward to the day someone says that to me.

Bottom line, the hard part for the receiver of "your so old" or "your so young" is that the one being told has no idea what that means and we can not do anything to change our age. There is no crime in being older or younger. There is no age of arrival. There is, however, a lack of respect I feel when someone throws my age in my face. I pray God continues to give me what I need so that I can be graceful until the day the comments stop. While I wait, I will remember Paul's words to Timothy:


Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12