“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” (I Cor. 6:19).
A long-time acquaintance told us about what happened to her thirty-year-old nephew-in-law who, after complaining of a stomach pain, rushed himself to a doctor. After necessary medical tests had been completed and revealed, to his horror, and the rest of his loved ones’, he was positively diagnosed to have lung cancer, stage four.
He went on to live for another month, everyone around him was shocked and depressed. Yes, it was only for a month, as his health quickly deteriorated and he did write finis.
What’s sad about this thing is, as far as he is concerned, the guy had no known vices like smoking. He was purportedly meticulously vigilant of his health, preached and walked perfect, clean living.
This is another ordinary and factual illustration that here in this world, there is nothing we can truly be proud of. In the twinkling of an eye, when God decides to cut our life short, we couldn’t even say bye to everyone for good.
We definitely can’t declare, Oh, we just get rid ourselves of smoking and do exercise regularly, that we will die in old age or so-called natural death which is the painless one and healthy.
Yeah, not even the strictly followed daily regimen, healthiest lifestyle, best medical care and bottomless riches would guarantee a human being’s longevity. There was a non-smoker rich man who would eat fish, fruits and veggies only, had monthly routine medical check-up, yet cigarette still caused his demise early:
When he was joyfully jogging along the sidewalk with many bodyguards chasing after him one day, he was fatally hit by a wayward truck owned by “Opportune Tobacco Corporation,” a cigarette company.
But seriously, it is a fact and non-laughing matter that smoking kills. I fully agree though that it’s a thrill, but it's a thrill that kills. I should know, I’ve been living with smokers around me for a long time, at home and in the street and for many times I lighted their cigarette stick. I first smoked when I was five or six using dried “santol” twig and at fourteen or in third year high, I had my first official cigarette.
I admit, during the time I thought being a smoker at school would be considered a status symbol. I’d take it thrilling when others would call me “dungol-dungol,” roughly means hard-headed or fool.
During our C.A.T., or Citizen Army Training, the most rigorous subject, I always found it fascinating observing our movie-star-like commandant pretty boy Sir Francis Molanida inhaling cigarette smoke and freezing it inside him for at least two minutes.
Then, he’d continue on discussing lessons as smoke gradually got out his nose and fine teeth, would inhale it back and again smoke would freeze, repeat the ritual, and he’d let out his lips all that was left inside him like from a just opened furnace.
For many years I did emulate him each time I smoked as I’d always do the same trick, but I thank my God despite early struggles, I finally triumphed over nicotine, the super addictive.
But I thank Him the more for His love, mercies and grace, that He still let me obtain too His total forgiveness, despite the fact that for those same years I have had His "temple" desecrated.
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