September 11, 2024 “Are you sure that’s what you want to wear on the first day of school?” I asked that question to my son, Jake, as he came downstairs dressed for the first day of his senior year of high school. He had on gray baggy sweatpants (a wardrobe staple for teen boys), a gray graphic t-shirt and a ball cap. It was the t-shirt that drew my attention. On it, was a picture of Jesus wearing sunglasses and making peace signs with both hands and the text, “He is Rizzin’” For those not up to date on current slang, “rizzin’” or “got rizz” is a slang form of “charismatic.” A guy who is rizzin’ is the guy everyone wants to be around, the kind of guy who gets the girls and has lots of friends. While I’m glad my son thinks Jesus is the guy with whom everyone should want to spend time, I was worried how other teens at his school would react to the shirt. I had just talked to another parent who said her daughter has been bullied at school partly because of her love of Jesus. I outlined my concerns to Jake. His response? He shrugged his shoulders. He did not care. My 17-year-old son is braver than I am when it comes to sharing Christ in a place that might be hostile to His message. While he does it in a sort of punny, comical way, he does it. I have no problem wearing a t-shirt that talks about mental health or related issues, but I don’t think I’d have the guts to walk around in a shirt that lets people know I love Jesus. I think God used Jake and his shirt to send me a message: “What are you afraid of that keeps you from sharing my love?” Even if someone is hostile to the message, what does it cost? Maybe a bit of discomfort. Lots of situations in life bring discomfort. At least discomfort for Jesus helps us get to heaven and maybe bring others with us. I’m so grateful God sent me this wonderful child who loves Jesus and shows me how I could follow Him better. He literally wears his love of Christ as he goes into the world. It’s a really good look on him. |
|||||
|
|||||||||
