Teens

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The prophet Elijah was in a place where he felt he was the only left obeying God. It seemed as though his whole world had been shattered. No one wanted to do the right thing. The harder he preached and the harder he worked to change men’s hearts, it seemed the worse they got. God had to remind His minister that he wasn’t the only one; He had seven thousand prophets just like Elijah that remained faithful and had not bowed to the pressure and enticements of Satan.

As we reflect on the season of recent graduation ceremonies throughout our land, I want to take the time to recognize one who has not bowed to peer pressure and has remained focused throughout his High school journey. His name is Ricky Muirhead, a graduating senior at Mcadory High School in McCalla, Alabama. Ricky has maintained straight A’s all through high school and is the only African American male graduating with honors as number four in his class. What’s also impressive to me is that He is a very popular young man with swag. He has no sexual identity issues, nor does he look the part of a “bookworm”. Ricky is a young man who decided early on, to be his own man, and not succumb to the pressures of dumbing down his abilities in order to be accepted.

Having known him and his mother for several years, it makes me especially proud to see the development of this young man. No doubt, he may have felt many times as the prophet Elijah did, that he was all alone. He may have felt nobody could possibly be studying as much as he did. Nobody always turned in their homework. Nobody else was getting all A’s. Why don’t I just throw a “B” in there?

Although he had tremendous support at home, both spiritually and naturally, none of it would have mattered if he had not decided He would be the very best He could be. His hard work has paid off in a full scholarship to Alabama A&M University!!

If it is a true statement that our lives are a result of the decisions we make, then Ricky is well on his way. I dare to insist that he is not the only young African American male that’s doing positive things in our society. They are not all in jail, nor do they all wear their pants below their waists showing their underwear. The best thing is that their friends and younger persons have living epistles to emulate. To these young men I say congratulations! The best is yet to come!

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