Teenagers are a...

Nuisance.

Of all the words that could go there, I chose this one. If you've thought this before, then I would say you're probably not alone in thinking this. I'm sure there are plenty of adults who've thought this before.

Let me talk to the teens here. I may be 18, but have you noticed what is at the end of that number? Yeah, it's teen. So yeah, I'm still a teen. Besides what adult would think that I'm an adult? Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt like adults think you're too smart? Or maybe you've felt as if adults don't care what you're saying. I hate when I feel as if adults aren't listening to what I have to say. I hate when they think I'm too smart. I can't help it that when I get bored I Google things to find out about things.

Now adults. Can you cut us a break? It's hard being a teen if you don't remember, which some of you might not. We're dealing with many pressures here and we don't need you to add on to the pressure. We can't help it if we're being a smart alec. Some of us really do like to look up things on the internet. Most of us act this way, like we're smarter than you because our brains aren't developed yet and probably won't be until we're in our 20s. Could you just listen to us?

You know how everyone has a different perspective of how they see things? Infants don't think the same as toddlers. Toddlers don't think the same as children. Children don't think the same as teens. And teens definitely have a different perspective than adults.

This I learned in psychology. Sometimes my teacher would make a certain face and someone in class would ask if she were mad or something. But she was only thinking and she was perfectly fine. Teens, we see things different from adults and we probably explain things in an even more different way.

Today I went to a different Sunday school class for all sorts of ages. I was in the middle of explaining how I felt about a certain quote by C.S. Lewis. The quote was: "always December but never Christmas." I referenced a song by Relient K because they sing that it's always winter but never Christmas. I was probably wrong to assume the others would get what I was talking about though because someone raised their hand and explained it exactly the way I meant it.

I just felt so annoyed by that older adult saying that. It makes me think of 1 Timothy 4:12.

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.

It drives me crazy when adults look down on us. What's worse is when people who work with us teens look down on us. If those who work with us feel we're such nuisances, then why do you work with us? Why do you help us with stuff if we're so annoying? Are you just trying to be a good Christian by helping us?

I know adults are supposed to be the smart ones and this could be my still developing brain, but sometimes it feels like the adults are the ones being smart alecs. Don't tell us how to do something in a snooty, bragging sort of way because we're either not going to learn it or we're not going to want to learn it.

You all realize that Jesus likes children right? Teens are considered children because we're obviously not adults yet. Adults, what would Jesus do? I think that's the question we all should be asking. I don't think Jesus would call teenagers nuisances. The Bible says children are a gift from God.

As for those of you adults who actually like to hang out with us and get to know us, I want to say thank you. I know you are the ones who probably never grew up and that's ok because you totally fit in with us teens. Thank you for making a difference in our lives. Thank you for challenging us to build stronger relationships with God every day?

I'm not going to say that all adults are wimps or that adults are wimps at all. But I think it takes a courageous person with a patient heart to want to teach a bunch of crazy teenagers.