The Amish culture fascinates me. A very dear friend of mine grew up Old Order Amish, & I loved spending time with her & her family. As teenagers I would drive Leah around in my little black sunfire, & she'd take me for rides in her little black buggy. So vastly different in our culture, we have always been sisters at heart. When Leah turned 16 she entered a time of "running around" or Rumspringa. For those unfamiliar with the Amish community, this is a time in which parents permit their teenage children to "test the waters". Parents have faith that the upbringing that they have provided to their children will have more pull than the lure of the "English" world & that their children will ultimately join the Amish church thereby leaving the secular world behind. During Rumspringa many Amish teenagers set out to experience that which is forbidden by the Ordnung (Rules & Expectations in the Amish church). Amish parents often turn a blind eye as many of their teens will purchase cars, cut their hair into fashionable styles, wear modern clothing, & etc. Often the behavior is far more rebellious than that & involvement in drinking, drugs, & sex occurs...
*I want to pause & say that many in the English culture thumb their noses & pass judgement upon this tradition & of the Amish church for allowing it...that is wrong. While I do not agree with this practice, I must say that our "English" culture is notorious for allowing our teenagers & young adults to run amok. The teenagers of our culture do the same & even far worse than those within the Amish.I am in no way condemning or speaking against the Amish, merely using this practice of Running Around as an example*
The secular world & even the church in Western culture have also slowly dissolved their standards to the point that it is generally accepted that teenagers will rebel. It is now "normal" for young adults to go through a time in their life in which they lack responsibility for their actions. The phrase "Typical Teenager" is often heard. We merely sit back & sigh about the behavior of youth. Underage drinking, casual sex, drug experimentation, lewd dress, utter disrespect for authority, & etc. are all now merely considered part of the growing up process. College has become less about the gaining of knowledge & more about being "an experience" that youth are just entitled to have. Parents refuse to hold their children accountable for these actions & often step in to bail them out when the repercussions of these poor choices finally do catch up with them.
Sisters of Faith, you Proverbs 31 Women, this is wrong! We are to be a people set apart for the Lord, a peculiar people...As a daughter of the Lord, as a princess of the King of Kings, as one saved by the Blood & given a new nature, hear me: There is NO permissible time to knowingly do wrong.Whether you are 16, 26, or 66, wrong is wrong, right is right & you have an ethical & spiritual obligation to choose good over evil, right over wrong, holiness over sin. Just because the world says it is okay to go through a period of disrespect for yourselves & others does not make it right. It is time for us to rise up & call this acceptance of sin what it is....wrong. We are to be peculiar...above the standards of man & society. Young women, young mothers, young wives rise up in righteousness! It is NOT okay to disrespect our parents/elders. It is NOT okay to tempt men with our manner of dress & the flirtation of our demeanor. It is NOT okay drink underage or to the point of drunkenness. It is NOT okay to shirk responsibility. It is NOT okay to compromise moral integrity to "fit in". There is nothing Normal about soiling the new nature of Christ with the self-centered, sin-ridden immorality of this world. Hear my heart, Sisters, I am not trying to pass judgement, merely to speak truth. We cannot afford to sugar coat sin. We cannot afford to indulge in a period of rebellion. Our actions, words, & thoughts are always an indicator of the state of our hearts. Rebellion, even in thought only, is a dangerous poison that spreads.
I do want to say that while it is not normal or okay for a believer to have a time of "Rumspringa", it is another matter altogether to have a questioning mind. If you have questions, seek the answers. By all means search out & find solutions to the queries that plague you, but do not assume because you have questions that the answers lie within the world. Do not place too much weight on the glory of "fitting in", of being accepted. Do not think that because you have set yourself apart for Christ that you are missing out elsewhere. What are you really missing out on by not going to the "kegger in the country"? What self-esteem do you really gain by letting "it all hang out"? How much respect do you gain from your parents when you disrespect them? If there is a situation in which you are tempted to engage in, ask yourself these questions: 1. Does it glorify the Father? 2. Do you feel the need to hide it or downplay it to your parents? 3. Does it deepen or cheapen you as a person? The answers to these questions instantly tell you whether that situation is one you ought to put yourself in.
I speak to you on this topic as one who has walked in your shoes. As a teenager, I chose to be a peculiar person, set apart for my Father. I was a "good girl" for the most part. I didn't engage in typical teen behavior & I can tell you today as a Proverbs 31 Woman (in training), as a daughter, as a wife, as a mother...I in no way regret "missing out" on my Rumspringa. I am irrevocably proud of my stand as a young woman of faith, of my willingness to maintain my moral integrity. I can tell you that while I did not fit in, more often than not, I was respected. Years later I have been told by former peers how much of an impact I had on them by not doing what they did. Sisters, you have an eternal life to live! One that has far greater rewards than the temporary glory or pleasure this world offers. Hold your standards & expectations for yourself high & do not succumb to the temptation to be just another typical teenager. Made in the image of God...your are anything but Typical! Parents, may we end the cycle of low expectation! We must hold our children accountable in the way the Father would. Teach your children right & expect them to do it. Be disappointed when they intentionally stray. Allow them to suffer the consequences of their actions.Continuously & unceasingly guide them towards Grace. Show mercy, but acknowledge sin for what it is.
Sisters, do not waste time "running around", run straight into the Father's open arms & abide there!
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