fine efforts. Heed the inspired admonition: “Take exquisite delight in Jehovah, and he will give you the requests of your heart.” (Ps. 37:4) May your real delight continue to be in maintaining the love and approval of Jehovah God, convinced that this leads to satisfaction now and holds promise of life eternal in God’s righteous new order, which is near at hand.​—Rev. 21:3, 4.

A Youth Asks, Why Attend Christian Meetings?

“I HAVE a problem.” Thus began a letter from a sixteen-year-old girl in Georgia.

Her mother was regularly attending the meetings at the local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the daughter was expected to attend also. But she did not want to be “forced” to do so. The girl wrote: “I feel that I’m old enough to make decisions as far as the religion I want to be involved with, if any.” So, she asked, ‘Why must I attend these meetings?’

Whether you are in a similar situation or not, what about the query, ‘Why attend the meetings at the Kingdom Hall?’

DESIRE TO BE INDEPENDENT

The teen-ager in Georgia commented: “I feel I am too old to hang on mom’s skirt tail.” But is it so?

A teen-ager may feel like an adult, and may even have certain legal rights and privileges, such as being able to obtain an automobile driver’s license. But in many areas one does not obtain full legal rights as an adult until twenty-one years of age. Why is that the case? The experience of millions of youths over many generations has proved that, with a view to their own lasting welfare and that of society, it usually is still best for them to have some parental guidance. So if one is still a minor, would it not be modest and sensible to bear in mind what the experience of millions of young persons has shown? And might it not be that you too could still profit from your parents’ experience and counsel, especially if the law of the land says that they have the right to guide you and are responsible to do so?

Also, do you know what might develop in many places if parents leave a youth at home unattended? If a question of neglect comes up, there could be court action and the youth might be put in an institution.

Did you notice, though, what the girl in Georgia wrote about ‘hanging on to her mom’s skirt tail’? Does that not reflect the common yearning among teen-agers to be independent? To a degree such a feeling is understandable, for as they become adults they will basically be expected to stand on their own. That is part of becoming an adult, is it not? But ask yourself, ‘Is anyone ever completely independent?’ For instance, we are dependent on the air we breathe. Who created it? Jehovah did, just as he provided the sun and rain that we need to grow food. (Acts 14:16, 17) Would it be a sane course if our desire for independence led us to reject the air, sunshine and food that we get from God? If you knew a friend who got it into his mind that he never needed food, would