Did you know 17 year olds know everything?

I've always considered myself to be of above average intelligence. When I was in school, I got straight A's and when I taught Pre-Algebra for one semester, all of my students did well. I read a lot and do a lot of online research about various topics and can hold my own discussing almost any topic. I've lived a pretty full life, experiencing a lot of different things. However, my seventeen year old exchange student seems to think I don't know anything and am a complete idiot. Sometimes I just want to shake her......but I don't.



V hasn't had a period since she got here back in the beginning of September, so she asked me to make an appointment for her to go to the Gynecologist. I explained to her what a visit would entail. She freaked out. She told me that the doctor could not do a pelvic exam on her and she would only accept an ultrasound. I tried to explain to her that the doctor may do an ultrasound, but would most definitely do a pelvic exam during her visit. She told me that she will never allow it because those exams cause permanent damage and sometimes even death. I tried to explain to her that it isn't true and what one of those exams is, but she insisted that the doctor would cause permanent damage and said that she doesn't want to go now. When she talks to me, she talks like what she is saying is absolute fact and there is no chance she is wrong. Of course, I'm only 39 years old and have had four children, so there's no way I know anything about pelvic exams.



This morning our conversation was a bit deeper, but of course, I still don't know what I'm talking about. We started out talking about rainbows. I told her that I love rainbows because they represent God's promise that He'll never again destroy the earth by flood. She said, "You can just stop talking about that stuff because I'm not into it. I choose to believe the science behind it..." then went on to explain the science behind a rainbow. I said of course there is science behind a rainbow. God created that science and uses science just like He can use anything.



We talked the whole way to school. She said that she has read Dan Brown's books, so she knows the truth about how we can will anything to happen with our minds. I told her that the books Dan Brown writes are in the fiction section of the bookstore for a reason. They aren't true. She said that they have to be true because books can't be published unless they are true.



I decided to approach the conversation from a different angle and explained to her what God has done for my family and me. I focused on the miracles like the two incurable diseases the Lord healed CR of. She told me that CR wanted to be healed badly enough that she did it with her own mind and will just like we can will ourselves to get up at a certain time in the morning if we focus on it hard enough when we go to sleep. I was pretty shocked. I can't believe she compared CR's diseases to our internal clock. Just crazy.



We ended the conversation by talking about what it means to be a Christian and the difference between religion and being a Christian. She said that she is a Christian because she has gone to church her whole life. I then said, "So that means you're also a car, right? We just came out of the garage, and you are in the garage every morning and evening, so by your logic, you're a car, right?" That kind of made her mad. I told her that being a Christian means that we have a relationship with Jesus Christ. We've accepted Him into our hearts and have made Him the Lord of our lives. I asked her if she has done those things. She said she hadn't because she doesn't believe in Jesus. She believes that we've created Jesus in order to make ourselves happy. I told her that only she knows her heart, but by that very statement, she is not a Christian. She was pretty worked up at that point and I'm sure she was glad we were at the school, so she could get out of the car.



I share all of this with you, so you can pray with me and for me. I pray for more opportunities to talk to her and that the Lord will give me the words that will reach her.







This isn't related to the above topic, but it kind of is because it is another example of how I know nothing, and she knows everything. As you know, I taught a semester of Pre-Algebra. I love math and am very good at it. Both B and CR are in Pre-Algebra right now, so when I help them, I'm in my element. Well, the other day, I was helping CR with the word problems in her math homework. V kept trying to get me to let her help instead because she felt that she knew more about math than I do and could do a better job explaining things. Man, I wish I knew everything.