Never Hesitate to Bear Witness, Through Solemn Testimony

I go to breathing therapy on Mondays and Fridays. On Fridays there is a tall, thin lady, with her long, straight gray hair up in a bun. I don't know her name; I didn't need to...but one day we were peddling on our stationary bikes next to each other and I overheard her talking to her therapist about her fear for cataract surgery. When her therapist left, I told her I had had cataract surgery, and it doesn't hurt. She then went on about how she had found out she needed it at the same time she was diagnosed with lung cancer, so she postponed the eye surgery because she didn't want them at the same time.

I asked her if smoking had caused the cancer, and she said, "Yes."

Awkward silence. Then she told me her story. She had heard all the statistics about smoking causing cancer, and just ignored them. She had heard all the statistics about it being addictive, and she ignored them. Then, when she was 30 she realized how much she was addicted. She wanted to quit, and she couldn't. She knelt down and for the first time prayed and wept. "I want to quit. If there is a God, will you please help me to quit?" 

The next morning she woke up and didn't need, or even desire to smoke. She made it through the whole day and didn't need to smoke. Then, after dinner, she automatically picked up a cigarette, because that was what she always did after dinner. Her husband, said, "I thought you were going to quit." "Well, I was, but I'm bored." So she smoked.

And she smoked addictively until she was 70, when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She said she has quit smoking now. All those years she had been afraid to pray about quitting smoking, because she had asked God for help, and had received it, then she had failed. Now, she knew she needed to quit and didn't know where to go. She knelt and asked for forgiveness...and once again pleaded for help, not only to quit, but to know where she should go. She had the thought "Go to MD Anderson. Caner is all they do." So she got up from her knees, got in the car, and drove straight to MD Anderson. She was greeted by a lady, who, when she heard she had cancer, took her hand and asked if she could pray for her. It was then, she knew God had answered her prayer. She was living with the consequence of her choice she'd made to continue smoking, but she knew that God knew her, and had given her a 2nd chance. She knew He would be with her during the surgery.

I turned to her and bore testimony about God listening and answering prayers. Part of her story reminded me of my covenant to go off sugar, so I shared my experience with his helping me go off sugar--that was my addictive substance. As weeks went on, we continued to share our testimonies of faith in God and Christ.

I entered today, Monday. She came the hour before me on Mondays. I knew it was her last day because she has cataract surgery tomorrow. I saw her and waved at her before I went to the restroom. When I came out she was gone. I looked everywhere. I checked the parking lot. I was so sad, because I wanted to tell her goodbye and how much I loved her. I sat down to read before my session started, then I felt a tap, tap on my shoulder. I looked up and saw her.

"I couldn't leave until I told you goodbye," she said.

I told her the same, and assured her that the surgery would go well. 

"I want you to know how much you have changed me for good. I want you to know how much I love you," she said.

"I love you, too." I returned, and we just hugged each other with teary eyes.

I have since thought of all the people who are struggling with addictions. I thought of social media, video gaming, smoking, drugs, overeating, sugar, vaping, gossiping, pornography, more...and how she had first tried to quit, and with God's help she could have, but when she failed, she was too afraid to ask for help again, so she went on without the help she needed, AND COULD HAVE HAD, if she had just realized God does not give up on people.

Because of Christ's atonement for us, we all have 2nd, 3rd, and more chances. He never gives up on us, even when we fail and fall short. None of us are perfect, but God's plan included a Savior for us...and in Isaiah 9:12 and 17. 'For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."

What else did I learn from this experience? My patriarchal blessing tells me I will have many friends in and out of the Church, and to "Never hesitate to bear witness, through solemn testimony to your friends of the truths of the Gospel." I may never see her again, but I made a difference in her life (and she in mine) because I shared my testimony with her.