When I think of the song "Forever Young" by Bob Dylan, I think back on a few different things. The first thing that comes to mind is the memory of my Senior Ball, and yes, we had a Ball instead of a Prom. The reason for this distinction is so that we have an excuse to learn proper ball-room dancing such as Swing and The Waltz, and in order to honor our seniors with a slide show and speech done by an underclassman. As a senior in high school, the largest task I was ever given was to find the perfect song to accompany the photos of me growing up. After quite the struggle of deciding between Taylor Swift's "Long Live," Green Day's "Good Ridence (Time of Your Life)," and "Forever Young," I finally settled on the song I believed encompassed what I had seen as my high school career, and what I was hoping to accomplish in college and as I officially "grew up," which was to never forget to stay forever young. However, all I remember is using the version of the song that only included the chorus, which I originally discovered while watching Parenthood, and laughing hysterically when the "song" played four times through before the photo montage finished. The second thing that comes to mind, and what I personally would label as the more significant, is the fact that I do hope to live my life "forever young." Now this doesn't mean living out my days partying or living only for the moment, or forgetting to make wise and informed decisions, but it means hoping to never lose my childhood innocence, in the sense of always remembering to hold tight to faith and never give up. It often seems that as children we fight harder and persevere longer. Do you remember any point in your childhood where you were begging your mother for something, perhaps a cookie, or maybe just a little more TV time? Do you remember bugging her for so long, sometimes even hours, that she finally gave in? As children we label this whining and nagging, but as adults (and young adults) we call this determination. It is my goal, as an adult, (which I still don't necessarily fully consider myself), to never give up and always follow my passion and what I know I am called to. Whether this be putting on a worship night with a good friend, moving to a strange and scary place when staying home was a perfectly valid option, or pushing myself to go out and live in the promises and faithfulness of my good God. Likewise, I encourage you to hold onto childlike perseverance, to shoot for the goal when the defense is strong, and to stay forever young.
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