Good News For Youth (GNFY) published under the oversight of the Alkire Rd Church of Christ elders and posted by permission of the editor.
For various reasons many young people run away. Often, they are seeking a solution to some kind of problem or they have allowed someone else, who also wants to run away, to influence them.
Runaway girls are often like sheep among wolves. There is plenty of male
companionship, perhaps a free meal and a temporary place to stay, but the girl
must pay the price. In many cases the price is the sacrificing of her moral
character. Other forms of mistreatment may occur, even to the loss of life.
The question for boys is, how will they live when their money is gone? Jobs are hard to get, especially during the school term when it is unlawful to employ youth of school age during school hours. There is the temptation to steal. If they are driving a car, how will they get the money for gas? If they have stolen a car, the crime becomes more serious when they cross the state line. In most cases they may be picked up by the police.
The question that every young person should try to answer is, "What is the best solution to my problem?". After all, being a runaway only adds another problem, not a solution. If one is being abused and justly seeks relief from a bad situation, the runaway is looked upon as being the problem and authorities may deal with him as an unruly child, and may never learn what caused him to run away. If you feel that you are being mistreated, go to your local juvenile court, see a probation officer, juvenile judge, or talk to a police officer, preferably one who handles juvenile affairs.
In many localities, one may file a dependent petition in his own behalf in the local juvenile court asking for the court's assistant. This focuses attention upon the mistreatment that he is suffering and he is not looked upon as a problem child who has run away. Perhaps, the first one to whom you should seek advice is your minister. If you do not know one, turn to the yellow pages of your phone book and call a minister of the church of Christ. He will be glad to talk with you and assist.
There is a national source of help for one who has run away. He is advised where to get shelter, food and counseling. The caller's confidentiality is maintained. If young people wish to communicate with their families the switchboard can connect them by phone or can deliver a message. They can contact "The National Runaway Switchboard", a twenty-four hour hotline, toll free, phone 1-800-621-4000.
Every young person who thinks of running away should carefully examine his reasons for wanting to leave home. As one leaves childhood years and grows up into the teens toward adulthood, this is called adolescence, and one often seeks more and more freedom from parental control. In fact, one may want more freedom than he has maturity to handle. Such a person thinks that he has enough mature judgment to run his life when he really does not.
Some parents grant their children almost total freedom. This can cause a youth whose parents care very much for their child's future to appear to be too strict. Such a parent will not want their child to start dating too young. They will want to know who their friends are. They will want to help guide them in their decisions about where they go and how often. The person whose attitude is, "I do not care about what is right, what is dangerous to my health, my reputation, my education, my family or my soul", may run away to seek freedom to do what he wants to do. This person is not justified in running away. This person is running from the right to do wrong. When one seeks help through proper legal channels from abuse and mistreatment, he seeks to get away from that which is wrong and to do that which is right.
Jesus told the story of a young man who left a good home where he was loved, how he followed the course of, "If it feels good, do it", how he paid the high cost for low living, saw his mistake, then returned to his father's house.
See Luke 15:11-24, "and He said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry."
This is how Jesus illustrated man leaving God and seeking to
fulfill the lusts of his flesh. The downward road of sin always leads one to be
in want and in a deprived and troubled condition. The loving father in the story
represents God's desire to have his "runaway" children come home to a
right relationship with Him.
-– Copied, September 2001 –-
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