25. SHUN EVIL
COMPANIONS. THEY’LL KILL YOU
“My son, if sinners
entice thee, consent thou not.” (Proverbs 1:10)
(The year is 1978, or there about.)
As I arrive on Guam this time (from Japan) to again fish for eternal souls for my Lord, a somber grieving spirit prevails amongst most everyone on this Pacific island, over the recent tragic (and totally unnecessary) loss of young lives there, along with the permanent maiming of other young ones. I too am stunned to learn of that tragedy. As I discuss that “accident” with Paul G. (a young Guam Chamorro man about 20 years old), I ask him, “How could those 2 cars possibly have collided straight head-on, traveling in opposite directions on wide straight 4-lane Marine Drive (down around Agat or Asan)?”
Young Paul was about the same age as the several Guam youth killed and maimed for life in that collision. Paul actually laughs as he answers me. “They were playing chicken.”
‘Do you really think so?’ I asked, plenty stunned at his answer. Playing “Chicken” in motor vehicles is sinful suicide and murder!
“That’s the most reasonable & likely cause,” Paul explained.
Those cars had collided head-on about 2 AM. Each car had about 4 or 5 occupants, young local Chamorro guys and girls, in their late teens and early twenties, I reckon. Two or more were instantly killed. One or more survivors had limbs amputated in emergency surgery. Life on earth will never again be the same for any member of their families, especially for the maimed survivors.
This stay of mine on Guam, I lodge with my Christian friend, John and his family. Soon after arriving on Guam, I accompany John on an evening hospital visit. As John and I are walking out of the hospital at the end of that visit (about 8 PM), we meet an acquaintance of John’s (a local Chamorro lady). She calls John by name. He then calls her by name, asking how she is.
“Oh, Sir, how can I bear it. One of my daughters is lying in the morgue. I am going to visit another daughter in the hospital here who had a leg amputated and other serious injuries.”
“Were your children in that accident?”
“Yes, it’s so painful and hard to bear.”
“I will be praying for you and all your family.”
“Oh,
thank you so much, Sir. We sure need it. This is so devastating!”
More was said between them, but that is enough for here.
“…for childhood and youth are vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 11:12c)
Around 1970 in the Pensacola, Florida area, late at night (Saturday, I think) a carload of youth was flying down a roadway because the young driver was attempting to get him and his friends all back home by the curfew time (set by each set of parents). In a curve, the speeding car turned up on its side, left the roadway and collided with a tree, killing and maiming several. The next day, Pensacola mourned ever so sorrowfully.
My Christian Brother and Sister, Almighty God ordained that you and I do “preventative maintenance” against such vain, unnecessary loss of human life.
“Abba Father in Heaven, please set my heart afire (along with the hearts of every adult Christian on this earth), with a burning desire, calling, and mission to daily warn every young soul that we possibly can, not to consent to any sinner who tries to entice them into sin and danger, and also warn them and plead with them to flee the vanity of childhood and youth that seeks dangerous and deadly thrills, chasing the lusts of the flesh. Amen.”
“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” (Exodus 20:12) Young boy or girl, don’t you dare listen to the devil telling you that your parents don’t love because they refuse to let you do a lot of “fun things” you are so set on doing. They restrict your driving when you are in high school. They won’t let you go out riding with certain of your high school friends because your parents well know which of those kids drive dangerously.
Your loving parents guarding over your very life don’t want to visit you in the hospital as you hang on to a thin thread of life with one leg gone and other life-threatening injuries. They don’t want to stand over your 17-year-old dead body in a casket, grieving and mourning ever so miserably, thinking on what many wonderful potential things awaited you in life, had you lived a healthy life to old age.
“Abba Father in Heaven, please help me as a youth to always walk in the Spirit, ever listening to Thy Holy Spirit warning me to shun evil companions. Please fill me with godly boldness to readily and firmly say “NO” to evil guys or girls who call on me to run with them. In accordance to Thy Will, help me to always bear in mind how suddenly a motor vehicle can snuff out my life or leave me ever so terribly injured and handicapped in pain for the remainder of my days on earth. Please help me to always listen to and obey Thy Warnings of danger to me, and please always keep me safe in Thy Tender, Loving Care. I love Thee, my Precious Lord and God. Amen.”
Richard Yerby (Matsuida,
Japan) www.Christ-is-all.us