Our Teenage Cross

I am a church girl, through and through. And as a church girl, I have often been applauded and seen my peers applauded for being "Saved, young people". I'm sure you can probably think of a situation when an older loved one or respected church elder, said "Oh what a blessing to see so many young saved souls!". Many people act as if we young Christians are doing something totally miraculous by being saved as teens/ young adults. I am in no way bashing those who appreciate a saved teenager. I appreciate every bit of encouragement or applause I receive. My point is that it is not we the saved young folk who are doing a miraculous thing, yet it is a miraculous thing being done in us.
Often young people are discouraged when they don't receive this pat on the back. Many of my friends have been disenchanted with their church homes because the "Pastor did not preach to the young people" or the older members don't understand how it is to be saved so young. I am in no way condemning anyone for this feeling, especially since I am the queen of this sentiment. I do believe it is important to encourage young people. It is also true that many older people do not understand exactly what we go through as we carry our teenage cross. However that is not an excuse to be discouraged.
There are many joys that come with being saved and many joys specific to being saved at a young age. Here's a list of just a few:

• Every day we wake up we have the comfort of knowing Jesus is with us. Our teenage years may be filled with a lot of changes. Friends will come and go. We may grow apart from our parents and family. The ever changing trends can have you cool one day but will make you a fool the next. We ourselves may change in a way that is alarming. However, amid all these obstacles, Jesus is there. His love is constant and never wavering. He loves us no matter who is in our clique or what sneakers we may be rocking.
• One thing that was especially difficult for me to deal with (and still is) as a teenager is the future. From high school to college to "the real world", the future is always looming ahead. For some this may cause worry and anxiety. However, with Christ we have faith that our future is safe. He promised that He knew the thoughts and plans He had for us and that they were of good and not evil. 
• Every teenager goes through a stage where our emotions just do not make sense. For some, this is simply just a phase that we pass through and has no serious effect on our lives. However, some of us may actually go through depression and other serious things because of our fluctuating emotions. But we can take all our emotions and pains to God. He'll deal with them much better than we can.

This list was much shorter than I expected, sorry. Hope you enjoyed :)