It has been said that there are only two lasting bequests that we can leave our offspring — one is roots, the other wings.
— Dr. John Santrock
I can vividly remember the heated conflict my mother and I had about college the summer after my high school graduation. "Why won't you fill out your college applications?" my mother demanded. "Do you realize that it might be too late? I can't believe you are doing this!"
"Get off my back!" I screamed back at her. "I know what I'm doing!" I had no idea what I was doing. However, I quickly discovered how foolish I had been. All of the schools needed transcripts, letters of recommendations, and minimum SAT scores. Somehow I thought I could simply "show up" and begin taking classes. After all, that is what I did in high school.
"Sorry, the freshman class is already at full capacity" the admission clerk stated in a not so gentle manner. "You can always go to a junior college and apply next semester." My mother had been right.
The news sent shock waves throughout my entire body. I felt like going outside and beating myself up, but I reasoned that they would probably "frown" on that kind of behavior. Instead of a state college, they'd recommend a state hospital.
Fortunately, my sister introduced me to the person who was able to get my application approved. I started that week on academic probation -- but I didn't care because I was grateful just to be in college.
As I so eloquently illustrated, without a clear direction and purpose, it can be very easy for teenagers to make poor choices regarding their futures. During later adolescence, many teenagers will begin to wonder about their future. This can be a time of great fear and anxiety. Some teenagers will begin early to decide about education, dating, and a career. Others will wait (like me) until the last minute to make these major decisions. Many parents may be wondering if they can be helpful with these decisions. YES! As parents, although we cannot make the major decisions for our teenagers, we can teach them the "art" of making wise life-decisions. I believe that this process begins by asking a teenager two foundational questions:
1. What is your mission in life? Christ has commanded us in Matthew 22:37-38 to, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." Then he added the second greatest commandment: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Therefore, the question becomes "What specifically can I do to serve God and others? The "what" question determines our mission in life. There are literally thousands of "what" things to do for Christ and others. My mission is to help people resolve conflicts within their most important relationships (e.g., spiritual, family, marital, business).
