Stop Smoking or Else

Ann Sheridan was a chain smoker for years. Died of esophageal cancer. She was 51.

Some things are easier to give up than others. I need to give up Pepsi Cola because it is too expensive for my budget. I gave up iced vanilla latte’s some time ago. That wasn’t too hard to do, but this Pepsi is a different story. Even though I only drink one can a day.

Many years ago I gave up a cigarette habit. I hated it, but just kept smoking and puffing away, but I did begin to pray that God would help me quit. Let me tell you something. God answers prayer, but maybe not the way we would like it to be.
So this is what happened:
One day I laid the little cigarettes down and never picked one up again. I didn’t pussyfoot around about it. I worked at that time and Margaret, one of my co-workers was always telling different folks that I just went home from work one night and quit smoking. She was so impressed about it, but it wasn’t quite as easy as she made it sound. It was a fact that I quit cold turkey and never touched another one, but I got a little cancer alarm and that was all it took. I had awakened from a Saturday afternoon nap and was coughing up blood.

This was before computers, so I dug out the medical book and one of the first symptoms of lung cancer can be coughing up blood. That was all it took. I slammed the medical book shut and went into high gear worry mode. It is Saturday, and I can’t call a doctor. You don’t go to emergency and tell them you think you have cancer. I even considered it because I wanted it taken out of me ASAP. I knew I would be the laughing stock of the emergency room if I showed up with my emergency case of cancer. So I cooled my heels and waited for Monday.

No cigarettes touched my lips again. I prayed some more. Sunday afternoon I took another nap and woke up with the taste of blood in my mouth. I put 2 and 2 together and rationalized that the blood must be coming from my mouth somehow. I finally found that I had a canker sore in my mouth and it was bleeding. I guess when I would go to sleep it drained down my throat and that was why I was coughing up the blood. I don’t even know if it was a canker sore, or just a hole that God put there temporarily. I got the message loud and clear from God. Quit smoking. I knew in my heart of heart that God was answering my prayer, by letting me know how I would feel if I really had cancer, but now I need to do my part. So I obeyed.