Please Don't Take Drugs

To be honest, once I publish a blog, I very rarely go back and reread it. I'm sure much of what I say is redundant. But as long as it's in my mind, it's just going to keep coming out in my words.  Today I went back, very briefly, and looked at a few of the posts.  Has God been preparing me all along for this devastating loss of a child? Of course he has. 

I posted, in one blog, that in the middle of the night, during one of my wide-awake times, where I would panic and worry about John, God clearly dropped this thought into my mind . . ."Do you trust me?"  I cried like a baby. I did trust Him and I still do.  More than ever. I had been bringing John to the Lord constantly. Asking for his healing from addiction, from the recurring thoughts and memories, from the feelings of guilt and self-loathing. We prayed and we prayed that he would be healed.  And he was. Was it the way we wanted?  No.  It was the way God wanted.  Would our way have been better?  No.  It would have been easier, maybe, for us, right now . . .but not better.

Be sober [well balanced and self-disciplined], be alert and cautious at all times. That enemy of yours, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion [fiercely hungry], seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (Amp)

God knew what was best for John.  Only God knows what He was doing by allowing  (not causing, but allowing, huge difference) John's life to slip away in the night, stolen by drugs.  I won't clearly understand that until I get to Heaven, but in the meantime, I still need to trust God. Trust that He was saving John from more heartache, from himself.  Trust that He is good.  That His gifts are good.  That His ways are good.  That He is a good good father, and He is for us.  He is never against you. 

People like to confuse their awful choices with God's will.  Why did God do this to me?  Well, if you take a hard look at the trouble you are in, you'll see that you made that choice for yourself and it isn't fair to blame God.  I once had a woman say to me, "I can't believe God gave me Hepatitis C."  Well, he didn't.  You chose to sleep with someone, and they had Hep C.  Now you have Hep C.  Had you inquired of the Lord, he certainly would have told you not to.  Don't blame God for your bad behavior.  Your battle with Hep C is a consequence.  God is incapable of bad behavior and we are prone to it.  He sent Jesus to save you from yourself.  He also sent Jesus as an example of a perfect life lived.  No, you can't live a perfect life, but you can do a lot better than you are.  We all can.

We have been given all the tools we need to live a God-honoring life. If we live in obedience to Him, we won't suffer the consequences of our bad choices.  Now, I'm not saying we won't have trials and tribulations.  We will.  Hard ones.  But we don't have to have consequences too.  John had trials and he had consequences of choices he made.  There is a difference. 

He had terrible pain and devastatingly hard things happen to him.  He was prescribed pain pills, which started him on a terrible course. Eventually, we found answers to most of the physical pain, and we were working on answers to the mental anguish he was in, but he made a choice that would eventually lead to his death.  People, please don't make that choice.  If you could look into your future and see the devastation that it will cause you and everyone who loves you, you'd turn and run from it. NOTHING GOOD ever comes from drug/alcohol abuse.  Nothing. There are several ways to treat opioid addiction, it is a disorder, not a moral failing.  Please ask for help.

Listen, I know that life is hard.  I'm living my worst nightmare.  My greatest fear.  So, I feel like I can impart this truth.  You are responsible for your own choices.  Make good ones.  People are losing their lives right and left - and you don't have to be one of them.  Drug addiction typically ends like this:  Jail or Death. Maybe both.  Is that where you want to go?  I don't think so.  Live a long, productive life.  Do good things. Get married, have kids, love the Lord.  Be the best you that you can be. Get counseling, there's no shame in that.  No matter what the Army says;)

I get that this generation is faced with a whole lot of pressure.  Social media is a beast.  But you know what?  You don't have to participate.  You don't have to compare.  You don't have to self-medicate or drink until you can't feel anymore.  You really don't.  And trust me, it doesn't look good on you. It makes you act stupid, not funny.  It steals your looks, your health, your relationships and everything you hold dear.  It's just sad.  Not cool. Listen, whatever you're dealing with, it will get better.  And hey, even if it doesn't, you can make your own happiness in this life.  Start by loving Jesus.  Ask Him to come into your heart!  Trust me when I say it'll be the most important decision you ever make.  He will provide the Holy Spirit as a built-in counselor to help you navigate this life.  To be your conscious.  Listen to that inner voice.

As far as comparison and competition and all those images that you are bombarded with that make you feel less than . . .here is what I say.  Stop caring.  Literally, say to yourself when something starts nagging in your mind about you not being good enough "I DON'T CARE" or "THAT'S NOT TRUE!" That doesn't mean you don't care about yourself or others.  You just have to stop caring about what everyone else is doing, thinking, putting out there. They aren't you.  God designed you to be completely unique.  A masterpiece. So be the best version of you.  Get the grades, be the nerd, follow your dream, not someone elses.  Make good choices for you.  Don't sell yourself short!  Be kind and helpful.  Look for God in every situation.  Don't think with your emotions, they lie, but use the brain God gave you! 

Ask Him to guide you. To shut doors and open others. If it feels wrong in any way, then stop! You either chose good or evil. Always choose good. Stop allowing junk into your mind and soul. The shows and literature that promote immorality and glorify drug use, don't.  Just don't.  If you’re watching/reading 50 Shades, you've already let the devil in.  Breaking Bad should be a lesson in how NOT to live your life - not a glorification of meth making.  It's all so confused and backward. Protect your thoughts!  Your mind/heart/body!  Live your life thinking about the end game. And that, my friends, is Heaven.  This life is short.  So live it with an eternal perspective.  Life is about making choices that God would honor and all those who've gone before us in the faith would applaud.  Heaven is watching.  So is hell.  It's up to you. Start today making one choice for Jesus, and then just continue making one more choice and one more choice.  But make sure they are good ones. 

Rant over for today kids. Don't let anyone push you into doing anything you don't want to do. Drugs are a tool that Satan uses to capture your mind.  It's a doorway to the evil one.  The Bible cautions us to be on our guard.  The devil roams around like a lion waiting to prey on you.  He watches our every move and he knows where our vulnerabilities are.  So be sober and alert!  remember, if you don't choose HIM, you get evil by default.  There are only two choices. 

Here is a link to the MN House Committee meeting where Dave Baker presents his bill, Joe Rannazzisi explains how the Opioid epidemic happened, he explains it all so well, he is such an intelligent man.

https://youtu.be/yjAGBL9vkoE