Forever Young Aliens

I’m 2*-years old…in an 11 year-old’s opinion I’m old…to those “over the hill” I’m just a youngin’. To be honest, I feel super young. Sure, when I play in my pick-up basketball games at the gym and take some hard falls I don’t bounce back quite so quickly…but nothing fazes me. I’m a kid at heart…if any of you know me you know that I crack jokes (even during extremely serious convos), think the weirdest things are funny, and notice things like a 4 year-old. I have the attention span of an 8 year old at Toy’s R Us. I can’t sit still. I get excited easily and let people know it! This is a part of who I am and I love it. I have a kid-like view on life…nothing is too important not to have fun!

I hope that I continue to have this same perspective and personality well into my 60’s (if the Lord would allow me to live that long). I would love to be like my dad, who at 50, teaches little kids P.E., goofs around with everyone he knows, and has the most energy of a 50 year-old I’ve ever seen. I think he enjoys the life God has given him more than anyone I know. That is what I aspire to.

So you may ask, “Ryan, what in the world inspired you to write about youthful personality?” Well, the lovely radio did it! Specifically the new remix “Forever Young” by Jay-Z. Man, he has a way of remixing songs with incredible skill (although the content is rarely appropriate). As I found myself singing the words, I was struck by the words of another song I was listening to, “Meant to Live” by Switchfoot (maybe one of my top 10 bands ever). Let me list a few lines from both songs:

Forever Young

Heaven can wait, we’re only watching the skies

Let us die young or let us live forever

Fear not when, fear not why, fear not much while we’re alive

Life is for living, not living up tight, see ya somewhere up in the sky

Fear not die, I’ll be alive for a million years, bye bye

So not for legends, I’m forever young, my name shall survive

Meant to Live

Fumbling his confidence and wondering why the world has passed him by

Hoping that he's bent for more than arguments

And failed attempts to fly, fly

We want more than the wars of our fathers

And everything inside screams for second life, yeah

We were meant to live for so much more

Ok, so this isn’t a battle of the bands…or songs. But the drastic difference has sparked something in my heart. The Bible is clear that we are aliens in this world (1 Peter 1:1-3). We have been called as Christians to focus our passions to seeking our HOME (heaven).

Matthew 6:30-36, Jesus shows that the worries of this life should be thrown to the side…why? Two reasons: 1) there will always be worries in this life…2) we are called to seek our home (heaven) FIRST! It makes sense. Why worry about the trials of the day when we won’t be staying here long (in comparison to eternity).

So what does all this have to do with being young? The song Forever Young? What’s the point Ryan?

Well, from what I see in the song Forever Young is the attitude that this life is all we have…so let’s live it up! Don’t let the worries of life stress you out..stay young…live life loud…and live like you have no fear. Why? Cause there’s nothing left after we’re dead! This is all we have.

From what I see in the Bible is the attitude is this life is a gift, temporary living space, and can end at any moment (“You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” James 4:14). So let’s live it up for Christ! Don’t let the worries of life stress you out…stay spiritually passionate…live life loud for God…and live life like you have no fear because nothing in this world can affect our standing before Christ as justified!

We were meant to live for so much more…we were meant to live in fellowship with God…what an amazing day it will be when we are with Him in heaven…truly forever young!