Passion is Wasted on the Young

      i live in a house (my daughters) with 3 teenagers, ages 18, 16 and 13.  To say that passion, angst and hormones run rampant here would be a gross understatement.  Nearly every evening after supper we have a big family discussion around the table on a topic of current events, someones interest, a Bible subject or whatever comes to mind.  Generally it is one of the teens who brings up the topic and it goes from there.  Tonight the discussion was about homeless and poor people, etc.  As usual, there was a lot of passionate talk and no plan for action.  As i came back to my room with a troubled heart i began to think ~
      Passion is not nor should it be reserved for the young.  i remember so very well being 16 and extremely passionate about a great many things.  My parents, in general, scoffed at my zeal and i could not understand how they could not understand how terribly important these matters were to me.  i have come to realize that passion is somewhat wasted on the young.  To assume that because i am a senior citizen and a grandmother i am not passionate is a mistake.  i am still very passionate about many things which i sadly admit i have done little or nothing about. 
      i see now that passion, to be effective, must be tempered with wisdom, knowledge and grace.  A teenager has not lived long enough to have very much of any of these things.  (Don't misunderstand me, many teenagers are doing great things but i think by and large, it is not happening.)  That passion and zeal must be channeled to be useful; otherwise it is just heat and smoke.  Many very passionate people are very quietly changing their little corner of the world with little fanfare.  All of the loud rhetoric should stop and we must look for what God is doing in the areas of our interest and get on board with it.  There are far too many people content to spout words upon words while doing nothing but decrying the current state of affairs and shouting "Something must be done!"
      Having said all this, i purpose to put my money where my mouth is and to seek God's direction in what i can do to serve others in the world.