Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (May
12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was a professional baseball catcher who
later took on the roles of manager and coach. He played 19
seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) (1946–1963, 1965), all but the
last for the New York Yankees; an 18-time All-Star and won
10 World Series championships as a player - more than any other
player in MLB history. “Yogi” is also remembered for his quirky quotes and nonsensical
sayings. Among them are: “You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where
you are going, because you may not get there;” and “There are some people who,
if they don’t already know, you can’t tell ‘em;” and “I’m not going to buy my
kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did.”
Adults who care
about young people begin to encourage them at a young age to be diligent in
their schoolwork, and to stick with their education through high school and
even college. Education can help young people grow up to be more productive in
their communities, get better jobs, and become better providers for their families.
But I remember some of my classmates who quickly became bored or dissatisfied
with schooling and decided that life had more to offer than classrooms,
teachers, and administrators. They one day walked out of the school doors never
to return… dropouts. This is sad because of the missed opportunities that
likely resulted, and the problems that may have been caused by their lack of
education. But as I bring to mind those who quit their worldly education, I
realize how much more severe and detrimental it is when people, young and old, “dropout”
of the Lord’s church. Sometimes young people begin attending church services
upon the wishes of their parents, and later be added by the Lord to His body
(Acts 2:38, 41, 47). But soon they are drawn by the world and turn away from
the Lord and His children toward sinful living.
Consider the
Prodigal Son in Luke 15. The son was oblivious to the riches he had at his very
fingertips, and he longed to explore the “far country,” where the sinful
pleasures of the world awaited him. But his eyes were opened by the harsh
realities of worldly living. Then, devoid of food, friends, and family, he cast
his mind back to his home where his loving father had loved and cared for him
his entire young life. Maybe you have been yearning for the far country, or
perhaps you are residing there now. I beg you to cast your mind back to the rock-solid
reality of Christ’s love, and the inevitability of eternity in either heaven or
hell. Don’t do the Lord any “favors” by going through the motions of
Christianity, while your heart is in the “far country” (Matthew 15:8). If you
have dropped out of the life you once lived for God, the door is still wide
open, and the Father stands watching, waiting for your return (Luke 15:20).
[Luke 15:1-7] Once
there was a boy lost in the woods. The alarm was sounded. The whole community
responded. Fishermen abandoned their nets and merchants closed their shops.
Plows were left in the field as everyone turned out to search for the little
one. They moved in a feverish pace for the night would soon be getting darker
and harm might befall the lad. After several hours of searching, he was found
and with what joy was felt because of the rescue. Today he is no longer a lad,
but he is lost again! Yet, sadly, none seem to care. No alarm has been sounded
on his behalf. Many “family members” don’t even seem to care. Yet, a worse fate
awaits him now. He is lost in sin! Does anyone care enough to help? The world
needs to return to the Bible, the Word of God, for relief from the evils of
sinful living. Rescue the perishing, snatch them from the fire (Jude 23-17).
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