I overheard two teenagers…a boy and a girl…talking about how impossible it is to get a job here in our town (Butler). He was saying, “You fill out an application, and you never hear from them.”

They went through quite a discussion, so I couldn’t help but glance at them. The boy had his ball cap on backwards, and the seat of his pants hit him at his knees. That’s enough for you to see where I’m going. Youngsters today seem to enjoy doing and dressing in a way that adults find unreasonable and unbelievable. “Why would they want to look like that,” we say. And the only answer is that they so enjoy being different to irritate us, that they all look the same. And in cases like this one, if they’re looking for work in a reputable place, they’re defeating their purpose.

On the very next day, the “Dear Abby” column said the same thing to a youngster who was angry at adults because, as this 14-year-old complained that she was tired of hearing negative comments directed at teen-agers. She said “I am tired of being followed by storeowners and watching other passengers on the bus grab their belongings and scoot away when I come near them. What should I do?”

Abby hit the nail on the head with her answer, that if this is happening to you, it’s time to take a critical look at how you present yourself. Is there something about your appearance that could be considered weird or threatening? And Abby adds, “If the answer is ‘maybe,’ then it’s time for a makeover.”

The pink hair, the untied shoe laces, the bag-to-the-knee overalls, the absence of “please” and “thank you” do not get the choice jobs. But one good thing remains. Jesus Christ accepts any and all, no matter how they dress or have no good manners. But it’s interesting to see that sometimes, when a person gives his or her life to Christ, their eyes open and they clean up on their own.

Try to have the compassion of Christ for these young people who don’t know what it is they’re searching for. Pray for them and lend a kind word wherever you can. 37BT Bill Thornton January 6, 2007