Cinderella Series in Order Parts 1-3

 

My daughter use to frequent a blog called Rebelution, by Alex and Brett Harris. There was one particular post that Tom and I found very interesting that is now  a serious trend among christian young men in our culture. The post is titled Kidults (part 2):Peter Pans that Shave. We now refer to this as Peter Pan Syndrome in our family. Although we feel it is far more involved than just the effects from video gaming in our young men.

My husband and I have been involved in the college ministry at our church. We have two boys, one in junior high and the other a junior in high school, so this hits close to home.Tom did some research and the age of men, not married, living at home, with not much responsibility has dramatically increased. The average age being about 30 something now. Hardly, what we should call, young men. We have been racking our brains on how we can reach the young men in our church and "reverse" this trend. The problem is that these "boys" do not want to change and much of this has been planted weeds from within the home. How are we preparing our sons to become men? Men, who love the Lord, have strong work ethics and will follow biblical principals in leadership as a single man,a married man and a father. So, this topic on the "young men" in our society got me thinking about the "young women" in our society. I feel that although we have raised up a culture that supports Peter Pans, we are also raising up a culture of young women that have Cinderella Syndrome.

This syndrome, I have found is not about a woman, "not growing up". This is about women waiting for their "Knight in Shining Armor" to come and rescue them from their current life and carry them off to "Happily Ever After." Christian young women, I find, have spent much time on these thoughts. They have imagined what their "dreamy" married life, with children, and white picket fence should look like and are awaiting their "Prince Charming" to come whisk them away to the palace. This man will be perfect, ride up on his white horse, full fill his responsibilities, lead perfectly and may not even sin, rarely sin. You say, "Oh, it's not that bad, I haven't thought those ideals." Well, maybe not to this extreme, but I have found that some of these thoughts are in most every woman, not yet married. I want to share my thoughts on this and then share biblically the passages that talk about our roles as wives. I have a daughter who is getting closer to the marrying age and so it weighs heavy on my heart that she understands her role and a realistic biblical view of marriage. I want her to understand that her husband is a sinner, as well and the understanding that will not set expectations of him that he can not meet. So, much of this writing is to the "daughters" in my life.