Now my dear grandson, and all who read this, take the true key to peace and let it open your heart and by prayerfully seeking God, you can have peace in your soul. I love the souls of all mankind and want everyone who will desire peace in their heart with God, to make it into heaven by observing the Word of God.
—Grandma Miles (A. Marie Miles)
"I Can Handle It"
"What does Jeff's death mean to me? Well, some kids will probably stop dropping flippies for awhile. I mean, you got to watch that stuff and know what you're getting so you don't take some with too much rat poison in it. Me, I know what I am doing, I can handle it."
This was the answer to a question asked of one of Jeff Stewart's friends who came to the cemetery, with other barefooted friends, who were clutching wild flowers, to place on his grave. Jeff Stewart was the son of a Methodist preacher and had refused to listen to his parents. They had pled with him in tears to turn away from drugs. He had gotten into it through others' influence, but when his parents tried to help him, he would generally say, "I can handle it."
Jeff Stewart was a handsome boy, so said his mother, and a B student. He was only 17, but had died of an overdose of barbiturates on August 22, 1970 in a shack that he and his drug addicted friends had built on a side street in Hopewell, New York. In the midst of "rock music" he and his friends "smoked marijuana" and "dropped acid," (LSD) regularly.
At times Jeff wanted to get off drugs and had told his mother that he wished he had never started taking drugs, was a little boy again and could start life all over.
There is a struggle going on in the minds of every young teen-ager. At times he is a carefree person but then at other times he tries to act grown up or feels that he knows what he should do and the path he should walk. These are difficult times in a teen-ager's life. Influences from within and from without will cause him to decide upon his course. Parents see this indecision and they try to guide their teen-agers in the right direction. The pastor, Sunday school teacher, and the young people's leader are all interested in the teen-agers and are trying to show them the right way. At times the teen-ager thinks his parents or other spiritual instructors are right, but the crowd at school, and often the teacher, use their influences to pull him the other way. Day after day he is making decisions. The wrong influences seek to turn the teen-ager away from morality and God's Word but they do not give anything to take its place in his heart or erase guilty feelings. Therefore he finds emptiness within, so is compelled to continue to seek something else to satisfy him. Then he is led deeper into grosser evils, trying to "handle" his inner longings.
Some might say, "But how do you know?" I know because I went through those years and I know the influences to which I was exposed. One time I wanted a certain thing or would want to do a certain thing but then later I didn't like or want it. Some at school would present their ideas and my parents and spiritual advisers presented their ideas. In my mind I was continually weighing out what was right or what I really wanted to do.
As we think of the young boy who died of continually taking drugs and felt that he could "handle" his own life, we see how he chose to travel the wrong road. Even though his buddies saw what had happened to him they were so stuck on drugs that they, too, thought they could still "handle" their lives. What a mistake they are making and I am sure you are convinced of that fact. None of us are able to *handle* our own lives. When we are born we have within our very nature a bent toward evil. That bent toward evil has to be curbed. God gave children parents because they needed help to face life and to curb that which was within them that would lead them to the wrong path. Children and teen-agers should recognize this fact and listen to them. Even if you do not want to admit it, you can't *handle* your own life without the aid of your parents. Furthermore you can't handle your life and walk the right path without God's help. The devil works through the influences of others to lead you astray. Only through the power of God can the power of the devil be broken, the bent toward evil be destroyed, and you be able to do the right or choose the right path. Never feel that you can *handle* your own life. No man, woman, child, or teen-ager can *handle* his life or obey the Word of God, which teaches him the way to live in this life and be ready to die, without help from outside of himself.