When I was a Girl, I thought like one

Key Verse Reference: Ecclesiastes 10:16-18

Allie was a teenager. She had many responsibilities like washing dishes, taking care of her younger siblings, cleaning the bathrooms, the usual. But one day she got to thinking:

Am I ready to be a woman living on my own? Could I take care of a family if I had one right now like girls in history had to?

Because Allie loved history, she always found it interesting to compare her life to the lives of girls and women that lived before her.

Why did teen girls seem so much more responsible than girls seem to be today? Come to think about it, how many times are girls refereed to as "teenagers" in the Bible or anywhere else in history

Well, according to dictionary.com a teenager is a person between the ages of 13 and 19. The word started to become popular between 1935 and 1940. The first documented use of teen or teenage was in the 1920's. USHistory.org says this:

Wait, the American world only consisted of two categories: children, and then adults. Where did "teens" fit then? Well, prior to the 20th century girls were expected to be at least engaged by 16 or 17. Most of them never went on to high school or college because of various home responsibilities. What happened? When did the change in teen life happen? Well, many things changed actually: New inventions like refrigerators, freezers, and vacuum cleaners revolutionized the way girls and women did chores while automobiles allowed youth freedoms that the generation before theirs didn't get to enjoy. What does a bored in-between-a-kid-and-adult with a new mode of transportation get you? I'll leave that for you to decide, but for now, lets get back to our key Bible reference Ecclesiastes 10:16-18.

Oftentimes the King James Version can be a bit complicated to read, so I go to a different version to help me see the verse more clearly. Lets take a look at The Message:

The message in this verse definitely becomes clearer reading it in this version. However, instead of saying "young pup", we could say: "Unlucky the land whose king is immature..."

Now, I'm not saying that you or I need to get married RIGHT NOW, abandon things like vacuum cleaners and washing machines, and live like pioneers. No way! Honestly, that would freak me out (well, getting married right now would, but living like a pioneer would actually be kinda cool!). What I am saying, is that girls today need to step up to the plate of responsibility. If we are going to be the mothers, teachers, or whatever God is calling us to be of tomorrow, how are we going to get there if we don't take the first step: putting away girlish ways?

But HOW do we do that?