Don't tell me "God loves you"

All my life I've worked with teens. 

Also, my committed spiritual life began as a teen.

So, I'm always thinking about how to relate spiritual ideas to the teen mind.

Today, I was thinking something and I wonder if it's correct (pardon this stream of consciousness approach in this blog post).

Teens want a God that loves them, but not in a parental way, or a smothering or overbearing parental way. 

A teen is living in the process of becoming independent.  They want to do things on their own and create their own destinies and make their own decisions without their hands being held all the time.  It's a longing for respect, a respect that children don't, and shouldn't have.

So, sometimes this "God loves you" talk can seem just like a mother who can't let go of the image of her little son or daughter as kid.  God loves you, as a message, can seem like another person saying, "Johnny, it's too dangerous to cross the street, but don't worry, I'll hold your hand."

Yet, I still think teens respond to God's love, but it's love that comes alongside an adventurer.  A love that says, "This looks dangerous.  Let's do it.  You and I.  Ready?  Let's jump!" 

It's also a love that gives dignity to pain.  Teens want their concerns, their emotions to be given credit.  An example is how many teens feel that their romantic feelings are treated as silly by some adults.  I think they want others, God included, to respect their feelings.

And in that sense, I do think God loves the teen in a way they want.  He looks at your feelings, your rough and happy emotions, your desires, your hopes with respect.  He wants to carry you when you're down and cheer you on when you need to stand up and fight.  He also wants to pump you up with divine power to tackle the giants that face you in life.

All of this makes me think of a poem or something that the disciple John quotes in his letter called 1 John.  It's in chapter 1, verses 12-14

I write to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
I write to you, fathers,
because you have known him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, dear children,
because you have known the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you have known him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.

Notice that different aspects of God appeal to each person at different ages.  Young men, for example, relate to overcoming the evil one, having God's heart live in them, and being strong.

I'm very curious of your thoughts.  For those of you that are teens, do you relate to this or do you see it differently.  I'd love your feedback either in comments below or in person.