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Smoking no problem for God

Submitted by pierre on Wed, 08/12/2009 - 13:25

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In his own words Graham tells us how God helped him with his smoking addiction.  

God brought me a job managing a small canteen in the East Cape Development Corporation buildings and here it was that early one morning He touched me with regards to my smoking – indeed my nicotine addiction. I had begun smoking at the age of about 13 or 14 at Allan Wilson High School in Harare in Zimbabwe as a way to fit in with some of the kids there – which meant that by the time I found myself working in East London and reeling from the shock of having lost my entire life I had been smoking for some 30 years.

 And like 99% of smokers, I tried to give up so often I’d given up giving up and just went with the coughing and choking and headaches and all the smells and horridness that goes with smoking. 

I had been to the church the evening before and had been filled with the Holy Spirit and feeling absolutely on top of the world. The Holy Spirit does that when He smiles with you. Anyhow, there I was in the canteen, having been without a cigarette for some 8 hours now and as any serious smoker will know – that’s a long time without a cigarette!!! My lungs were crying, gasping for a smoke!! 
 
There I was in this canteen, which didn’t stock cigarettes by the way, and as one of the youngsters that I was training walked in, I grabbed him and asked him for a cigarette. He gave me one but as luck would have it he did not have matches or a lighter with him. Just a few minutes after the first youngster walked in and I accosted him, the second youngster walked in and yes he did have a lighter on him, which he gave to me. 
 
It is only now, as I type this in this little testimony booklet, fully four years after it happened, that I see God’s immaculate planning in even that seemingly insignificant little act of making sure that of the two items I needed, each of two people only had one each, making sure that both people were present when He moved! 
 
George had given me the cigarette I’d asked for, which now dangled unlit on my lip and Will casually threw me the lighter, the way one does amongst friends. Just as I lifted the lighter to my lips to light the cigarette, my whole body convulsed as though in a spasm, as though I were about to vomit and the cigarette flew from my mouth as though forced out of my mouth by a force within me. I got such a fright that I threw the cigarette lighter down and stared at the cigarette for a few seconds, while the two youngsters just looked at me. 
 
I can’t quite remember what happened next – I think one of the youngsters bent down to pick up the cigarette and lighter because I was standing there in a daze looking stupid - but I know that the whole thing made a serious impact on everyone present – including me! I didn’t quite realise how serious until a year or so later! 
 
Believe me when I tell you that from that day to this, I have not had the slightest desire for a cigarette! I even tested this. When I was smoking and I’d go out drinking, my nicotine intake would increase exponentially, and in any given drunken evening I’d probably smoke fully two packets of twenty cigarettes! I wanted to test God – Bible Reading Christians, please don’t attack me here, rather hear me out first – because of my intense level of cynicism. It so transpired that the deliverance I went through at the church was on a Thursday evening and the day that this happened was a Friday, and the canteen was closed on a Saturday. Again God’s planning? I wonder…. 
 
Anyway, this Friday I decided to test God and I went out and bought a bottle of brandy, knowing that I would feel the need for a cigarette as soon as the booze touched my lips. The first drink went down and I had no need for a cigarette. But I knew that I’d need a cigarette with the second drink. The second drink went down and there was no need for a cigarette! But I knew that I’d need a cigarette after the THIRD drink and so it went on until I’d consumed the enter bottle of brandy! And not even the slightest desire for a cigarette!
 
This just proves how little we “know”, as humans.
 
There was one time after that when a lady friend and I were sitting drinking – she is unfortunately still a smoker as far as I know, at the time of writing – and she tried to get me to smoke. I resisted but she carried on and eventually I stuck a cigarette in my mouth and lit it! Man! That was a mistake! It hurt! It felt as though my throat had been filled with fish hooks – it was really painful! A warning? Possible. All I know is that I PRAISE GOD AND WILL WORSHIP HIM FOREVER for this. It is to me ABSOLUTE PROOF of His love for me. He has called me to serve Him and wanted my body completely clean in order to do so.
 
I have said to folks that I’ve testified this to that it shouldn’t surprise any one in the slightest if there is reason to do an autopsy on my body after I’ve been called home to find that my lungs are perfect with absolutely no sign of having smoked at all.
 
Actually I said it wouldn’t surprise me but I won’t be there if they’re doing an autopsy on my body will I?
Lt6Si99x