Teenage Angst #JourneyLent

Anita Gordon

“God, God save me! I’m in over my head…”

“…my enemies are before you.”

“Pour out your wrath on them…”

“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with Thanksgiving.”

Interestingly Jesus is identified with Psalm 69:9 in the New Testament. In Mark 2:17 – “zeal for your house will consume me” – when he overturned the tables of the money changers and in Romans 15:3 – “the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me,” were quotes from Psalm 69:9. But instead of asking God to pour out his wrath on his persecutors, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

This Psalm of David reminds me of others I’ve read with the same three basic parts:

Help! I’m beset by enemies.

Sic, ‘em, God.

Praise to God!

Reminds me somewhat of the years of teenage angst when seemingly my frequent request went something like this: God just get me out of this, and I’ll do whatever you want!!! Now nothing was ever even close to the troubles of David … being sought by the armies of his son to kill him … but the issues seemed very real and BIG to me at the time.

Thank you, God, for the people in my life who love me unconditionally through it all, like …

…Sizzle, pop, the sounds, and yum … the smells of browning hamburger and onion … laughter and shoulders touching in the tiny kitchen as the youth helped to prepare another enchilada and taco dinner. A young family … parents not yet thirty years old … four children under the age of ten … and yet room in their hearts and space for teenagers to have a place. A Louisiana woman with a smile to warm the cold nights of winter in Wyoming and her Texas cowboy husband had come to be our volunteer youth leaders in Worland, Wyoming.

Years later as I participated in one of our First Austin women’s retreats, we examined the examples of Biblical women who have shown or modeled a different way of being. Examples of women who have been touched by the spirit or hand of Christ to find their voices, to move past pain, or shame, or intimidation of the culture to find themselves in relation and collaboration with God’s Will, to move beyond the boxes we often allow to limit us.

When I reflect on the women who were great role models and influences in my development, I think of this one. Her outgoing, loving nature touched me during those adolescent years and enriched my life. My memories associate food, fun, humor and deep love with her. When I learned she ran for city council after she retired, I was so proud of her. I love reading her posts of encouragement for her multitude of Facebook friends even now, when she is past her eighth decade of life.

Thank you for blessing my life’s experience. I carry you with me every day. Love to you, Iris Roberts Bell.

Whose life are you touching and loving as the hands and heart of Jesus today? Who are you supporting through the angst or truly scary times they face?