How To Handle Teen Trouble

Dear Joshua:

I was at a movie the other evening and the 4 teenagers behind me were cursing, whispering, laughing and carrying on so I couldn’t enjoy the movie.  I gave them, what I thought, was a polite, “could you please keep it down”, only to have things get worse rather than better. My thoughts were not very Christ-like, to say the least.  This happens a lot. How would you have handled this?

~ Peeved in Peoria

Dear Peeved:

If it were me, I would’ve pulled out a can of mace and dropped those punks like a bad habit! Oh, wait a second; this is supposed to be a Christian website… isn’t it? Oh, okay… my bad. Actually this is how I would’ve handled the situation.

I would have just gotten up and moved.

I would have moved, and given thanks to Almighty God that I wasn’t raised the way those kids were.

Based on the very limited amount of time you experienced with them, odds are, the future of those kids isn’t going to be all that bright.

In all seriousness, should a situation like that ever arise again… move… say a prayer (or two)… and lead by example.

That’s really all you can do.

Forget the “Dirty Harry” impersonation… no matter how tempting it may be.

It’s not very Christ-like.

Sincerely yours,