From the Cardle to the grave

I don't know who Matt Cardle is.

Well of course I know that he won The X Factor but that's about all I know.  He was in the final with some teen band called 'no direction' and another female contestant.

I also know that little Matt is going to release a cover version of a song by Biffy Clyro - whoever she is - and he hopes to get to number one.  Some people are all annoyed by this and have started an internet campaign to get the original version to number one instead as a victory for 'real music'.

I think all this is great I just wish I knew what they were all on about.  As a cool down-with-the homies kinda dude I should really be keeping up with all the latest 911's, picking up the word on the street and slammin' some beats on ma ipod - Tuune!  But the truth of  the matter is that I am a little out of touch with popular cultural trends.

This was very apparent when I went to see The Messiah on Friday night and actually quite enjoyed it, changed times.

The question is, does it matter?  If the trendy young things are into different things than I was at their age does that mean we've nothing to learn from one another? I hope not.  I have the genuine privilege of spending a bit of time with some young people through stuff I do in church.  I can honestly say that just because their taste in music is awful and their fashion sense is virtually non-existant doesn't mean they are a bunch of wasters.  In fact quite the opposite.  I learn a lot from their new outlook, their fresh approach to each other, their capacity for handling technological advances, their desire to work hard and their graciousness to accomodate people like me.



This lot were too grumpy to win



Wisdom can certainly be increased with experience but it doesn't start in old age.  In fact their is no shortage of old fools about.  Of course some of young people think they know it all - they don't - but some older people think they know it all too - they don't either.

If you think people judge you because of your age take heart in what the Bible says. It teaches that you shouldn't be belittled because of your age but it also says you should set an example to others through your behaviour and attitude.  Be good young people, be wise, be courageous, be Godly so that we can learn from you.

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

1 Timothy 4:12

You're only young once

 At the window of my house
   I looked down through the lattice.
I saw among the simple,
   I noticed among the young men,
   a youth who had no sense.
He was going down the street near her corner,
   walking along in the direction of her house
at twilight, as the day was fading,
   as the dark of night set in.

Proverbs 7:6-9

As much as we hate to admit it some of us are growing up, some are growing old and some are even maturing.  When we think back over what we have done so far in our lives we see lots of mistakes.  They occasionally led to adventures but mostly they led to struggle and regret.

So if you could somehow send a message to your 16 year old self giving them some wise advise, what would you write? Would you change anything, would your younger self even listen?

If you can sum up what you would say in a couple of sentences then please share it with us in a comment. If you need to take longer feel free to share anyway.

And if you are still young, if you still have not reached the age of regret then listen to us fools who have went before you and try not to laugh too much.

Remember, remember the...the...emm...

Growing up we were always told, 'don't forget the bowl you were baked in'.  People who 'forgot themselves' were always frowned upon.  You know the type. The accent changes or they use hand-sanitizer after they shake your hand or they start reading the Guardian.

Ironically, people who have forgotten themselves sometimes forget themselves and use their old accent or are caught eating a spam sandwich and the whole facade is exposed.

It's funny though how forgetting yourself and simply getting on in life can be confused but there you have it.

Sometimes forgetting seems like a very attractive option.  If  life has been tough in childhood or some tragedy has befallen us or just having a bad day we just want to forget from time to time.  We shouldn't forget.  Every experience we encounter helps us develop. By remembering and learning from these things we can build our character and hopefully not repeat the same mistakes.

We should also remember God.  Whatever bowl we were baked, God was the master-baker.  He was the one who decided which ingredients were important for our unique mix.  Often, especially when we are young (like me!) we forget that all that impacts us is designed to make us who we are (Ecclesiastes 12:1). It gets us fit for purpose and we should trust the one who designed us to get it right.

Think back, remember, all the struggles and victories you've had over the years. Think back, remember, all the times you thought you wouldn't make it.  Think back, remember and rejoice that God is in control.

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Did someone mention hand-sanitizer?