Thursday, January 05, 2006
TEENS: WHO IS YOUR HERO?
TEENS: WHO IS YOUR HERO?
Author Unknown
Jan 5, 2006
TEENS: WHO IS YOUR HERO? THEY MAY DETERMINE WHETHER YOU WILL BECOME
ALL THAT YOU CAN BE!
A few years back, there appeared a tragic story in "Sports
Illustrated" magazine about a boy by the name of Rico Leroy
Marshall, an l8 year old senior at Forestville High School in
Glenarden, Maryland. Rico was a basketball star with everything
going his way, a promised athletic scholarship to the University of
South Carolina, first place winner of his school's talent contest
and he was one of the most popular kids in school.
Rico was driving home from a high school basketball game on a Friday
night when he was stopped by a county sheriff in a patrol car. On
the seat of the car beside Rico was a plastic bag with several
chunks of crack, the highly concentrated and addictive form of
cocaine. So that he wouldn't be arrested for illegal possession, he
swallowed the drugs as the sheriff made his way to the stopped car.
Later that night he went into convulsions. His parents rushed him to
the hospital, but early on Saturday morning, Rico Leroy Marshall
died of a drug overdose.
One more element appears in this story. On the wall of Rico's
bedroom, was a huge poster of his hero, basketball star, Len Bias.
Bias was the star of the University of Maryland basketball team and
for that year was the #l draft pick for the National Basketball
Association. He was chosen by the Boston Celtics. But on the night
that he was drafted #l, Len Bias died of an overdose of cocaine!
A very sad story? Yes! Are you surprised? Maybe not. But consider
that Rico's role model was Len Bias. I can only imagine that one of
the first things he saw in the morning and the last thing at night
before closing his eyes was Len. Len was the hero, role model,
dream, and goal of Rico.
Now my question to you: Who is your role model? Who is on the poster
in your bedroom? Who would you like to follow? When you are dreaming
of your future, who is the one person who comes to mind, who do you
see? Who do you have pasted on the inside of your locker door? Who
is on the dash of your car? Who do you want to be like? Choose well!
Heroes are important, but even more important is the hero you choose
to follow.
I wonder how many teens have a picture of Jesus on the wall,
generally accepted as the greatest person who ever lived, who had
more influence on the human race than anyone else and in whose image
we are made. Let's start the new year by making sure the picture on
our wall is the right one.
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our
faith
" (Hebrews. 2l: 2)
PRAYER
"Heavenly Father, through your Son Jesus Christ, you have opened the
way to heaven for us. As you revealed yourself to your beloved
Patriarchs and Apostles, so reveal yourself to me that I may glorify
you in my daily life. May I always find joy in your presence and
never lose sight of the kingdom of heaven."
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