feeling a little older than I am...

Luke 2

41Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. 42When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. 43After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends.

45When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.

48When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."

49"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"

***
"Age doesn't matter when it comes to the kind of person you are"

This passage came up at church one day, and it got me thinking. The main point of the passage was that Jesus was so smart at such a young age, that He was 'wowing' the elders of a church that were much older than He was.

I just got thinking, as I often do. I remember reading this verse as a younger christian in my trusty Good News Bible, and they had a simple illustration of Jesus talking to these older people. In a way I always picture myself there.

I look at my walk, and the people who have come in and out, and have noticed that the ones that have had the biggest impact have rarely been under 30. I have watched myself go in and out of patterns of confiding in people that are well beyond my years. That's not to say that I am not blessed with awesome, beautiful friends of my own age.

But I am starting to see a pattern, a trend, in which I seem to rely on people who are much older than me, and this is nothing new. Often I will find I almost prefer the company of older people. But what I wonder is, really, why? Is it because I have constantly in my past been let down by people my age? That I was bullied at school? Or is it just a difference in attitudes or values?

Hmmm...