“Just a Puff!” “Just a Sip!” “Just a Prick!”

“Just a Puff!” “Just a Sip!” “Just a Prick!”
Theses are familiar words heard in the college campuses, especially at the beginning of the academic year. During ragging, these words echo often.
“Just a puff!” – that is how smoking is introduced to the “fresher”! Curiosity is a cause for many students to try that “first puff”. Some have seen perhaps his father smoking at home. They have marveled at some young men smoke in ‘rings style’ in public (thanks to the present rule, it is on the decrease in public). The hero smoking at the climax scene comes to their mind. Or compulsion by seniors can be a cause for few. The free offer of the first cigarette can be a bite for some. “Try to be equal with the guys, dee” can pull some girls to try that. Of course, the first puff may not be a thrill or a smooth one. You cough; have an ugly nauseating feeling etc. But, it does not end with the “First puff”. It goes on and on and the guy or the girl soon engulfs in smoke.
“Just a sip” sounds very friendly and inviting. “Bottles” and “sachets” have their free move in the campuses. When you feel lonely, home sick and depressed by being in the hostel for the first time, that friend comes and offers that drink. You just want to try only one sip. The Tamil proverb says, “kalavum katru mara” – You learn even robbery and then forget it. So, you just want to try that one sip. It is not that good as you expected. It burns your throat and you do not cherish that odd smell. Yet, you go on for the next sip. Soon it becomes “a quarter at least a day”. Parties become non charming without the bottles around.
“Just a prick” – you shudder at those words at first. You quickly react, “Drugs? No, not for me. That is deadly. “. But, your friend is a cool guy. He smiles at you and says, “Be a man, da. This will take you to skies. You will be flying high, away from all your worries!” That tempts you to stretch your hand for that first prick. It pains a little. But, soon, soon … you are “there”! You like that feeling of “take off”. Once you come back to reality, you like to go again in that “trip”.
Smoking, drinking and drugs are common evil habits which the students get introduced during the first few weeks of the college life (if they have missed it during the school days!). It starts as fun or part of the ragging ordeal. Soon it becomes part of the person. Just at that time each day, your body craves for “it”. You are not able to live without it. Initial offers came freely – your friend buying for you that cigarette, drink or drug. Soon all the free offers get over. By this time you come to a condition where you can not live without it.
The money meant for books and fees become the prey. When that is over, you go to the extreme of “borrow, beg or steal” culture. By any means, you need that stuff at that time. So, you borrow or beg from known friends and even from unknown guys. When that list of lenders get over, that purse in the friend’s table attracts you. First you think, “No. Me stealing? Never!” But, when that time approaches and you do not have money for that “stuff”, you break all your values. Money from the room mates disappears often and that feeds you with that “stuff”!

Attending classes become meaningless soon. You want to go to the “heights” often. Even if you sit in the class, nothing seems to go in to your head. Your mind is only thinking about the next session due for your “flight”. Once you were bright in your studies. Now, slowly you bunk the classes and even the exams because you have not studied anything. The list of arrears keeps growing. When your dad enquires about studies you shout at him. You look at him only as that T shirt says,
”My dad is my ATM!”
All this leads to drop out from college and a purposeless life. It is not at all easy for any one who has gone thus far to become normal again. All his own efforts will end in defeat and depression. Even when some one tries sincerely to get away from these dangerous habits, the withdrawal symptoms are very bad and so, many times they prefer to go back. But, there is hope in one guy from that little village. Yes, it is that young man who did his carpenter trade - “Jesus”. His name means,”He shall save His people from their sins”.
What ever is the condition – a chain smoker, sold out drunkard, drug addict – if the person comes to Christ Jesus with an open mind, He will deliver the person from these clutches and help the person to come back to a normal and healthy life. There are thousands of testimonies for this fact. “If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed”. Let us take pain to relate to these students in the campuses and bring them to the fold of Christ with patience and love.

P.Jebaraj is UESI Staff based in Chennai as Training Secretary
and South India Zonal Secretary.
pjebarajuesi@hotmail.com







“Just a click away!”….
“A Look, A Nook, A Book, A Click can become a Hook for you from the devil!”
‘A Look’
The first look is not avoidable. But, you have to be careful about that second look. Your neck turns back. You slow down your vehicle. You try to have a glimpse in that rear mirror! Then you look straight at that person. That becomes your trap. As eye is the entry point, that look takes you to a deeper level of temptation. That is why Jesus Christ says,
“’Don’t go to bed with another’s spouse’. But, don’t think that you’ve preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices – they also corrupt.” – Mt. 5:27, 28(The Message).
The righteous man Job declares,” I made a solemn pact with myself never to undress a girl with my eyes” – Job 31:1 (T M )
‘A Nook’
Our UESI Office is next to a theatre in Millers Road. Many cyclists come in wrong way, even though it is ‘One Way’. When they come near the theatre, automatically their neck and eyes turn to see the film posters, neglecting the danger of the speeding vehicles that come opposite. The wise man instructs repeatedly to avid the wrong places that can lead us to sin – Proverbs 1:15; 2:15-20; 4:14, 15, 26, 27; 5:8. Instead of going to the known places of temptation and get caught, it is better to avid such situations altogether.
‘A Book’
We have all kinds of materials available in hard and soft copies. When we want to spend some free time, which are the books and magazines we choose? With what we feed our mind has its impact in our every day life. We have to avoid all the ‘junk’ stuff to fill our minds.
‘A Click’
24 x 7 you have all kinds of channels in the TV. ‘Mega Serials’ are on the increase. The www – World Wide Web has enough stuff to improve your knowledge or dump you in to hell fire. It all depends on the click of the remote or the mouse in your hand. Are we careful to choose the stuff we look in the TV and internet?

“A Look, A Nook, A Book, A Click can become a Hook for you from the devil!” Yes, the devil will be luring you in to his hook by all these means. As a remedy for temptations, Psalmist has a way. Few verses from Psalm 1 look attractive in the words of Eugene Peterson:
“How well God must like you – you don’t hang out at Sin Saloon,
you don’t slink along Dead – End Road,
you don’t go to Smart Mouth College.
Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. ….
God charts the road you take. The road they take is Skid Row”.

P.Jebaraj is UESI Staff based in Chennai as Training Secretary
and South India Zonal Secretary.
pjebarajuesi@hotmail.com