While I was volunteering at the Midwest Birding Symposium and learning from Jim McCormac about how a drop of water in Lake Superior makes it to the Atlantic Ocean, my husband was the assistant rector at a Cum Cristo (Cursillo) week-end. He's been on so many Cursillo, Cum Cristo, Renewal, and Emmaus Walk week-ends, I've lost count. Maybe I'm crazy but I think he usually says, "This one was the best." But he did tell me about one guy we've known about 35 years who used to be a member of our church. His wife died of cancer some years ago and he has remarried, and I think things are fine, although we were never close, so I really don't know.
Anyway, he was periodically stepping outside for a smoke. Before they all went home, my husband said to him, "You don't love your wife." Obviously shocked, the man asked what he meant. "If you loved your wife, you wouldn't want her to be left alone and grieving after you die of cancer. You've been through this--how can you want this for her?" Then he sympathized and told him about my dad--who quit smoking when he was 39 and said it was 20 years before he stopped wanting a cigarette (he lived to be 89). He says the guy said he'd think about it.
That's pretty bold for a guy as quiet as my husband, but then he told me he'd done that before, and the guy actually did quit cold turkey.
Cursillo isn't about saving anyone for Jesus, because usually they are already Christians; but it couldn't hurt to save a physical life too, and save a wife and children from grieving an early loss.
Monday, September 21, 2009
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2 comments:
Wow, that was a strong comment. I fortunately quit smoking around 30 years ago and was never really hooked. I'm not overly aggressive about it but I encourage folks to give it up. I'll either say "today's a great day to quit" or something similar. With younger smokers (if they give me time) I'll try to explain the math of smoking costs and match it to a monthly car payment. Sometimes they get it when you explain they are burning money with each cigarette.
Your husband's admonishment that the guy doesn't love his wife is a tough one. Don't know if I could throw that out there.
Since it worked once, I guess he thought it worth a try. The man is over 70, and how much time is left for him to clean out his lungs? Both my in-laws were heavy smokers, and early in our marriage, my husband had a bad smoker's cough.
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