"A person who has their health, has a thousand dreams. But the person that's lost their health, has only one dream."
I know as a musician this next topic is going to seem a bit out of place. I'm only supposed to talk about music or things parallel to it, right? I could go on all day about how stoked I am to take the stage at Uprise Festival! I am! I could thank you again for making "Happy Family" #1 on National Christian Rock Radio. It sincerely means a lot to me. THANK YOU!
But, this weekend I lost two friends at very early ages to health problems. I had to see their families grieve on social media and think about how I will miss them. I was so sad to hear about my close friend, Michelle, who we lost last week. She had 2 young children, a caring husband and her whole life ahead of her. She died at only 32 years old. Unfortunately, she lost her battle to alcoholism and poor health. Her liver shut down 2 months prior to finding out what was going on physically with her. The autopsy revealed that she also had ulcers that ulcerated and lead to her untimely death. Her health issues went to a point of no return. I will always remember Michelle as that loud, unfiltered humorous girl who loved her friends and family. She would go out of her way for a laugh. We will miss her very much.
My next shout out is to my friend Matthew, who passed away in his early 30's this week. He had a rare disease called, Huntington's Disease, that took him too soon. I'll always remember Matt as the exact opposite of Michelle in many ways. He was super quiet and reserved. I loved cracking jokes constantly trying to drag Matt out of his shell.
Some things in life are beyond our control. There are unexpected diseases that hit. There are car crashes and accidental tragedies that happen at work or school. It's obvious you can't help those circumstances. But what about the things you CAN help?
You might be reading this in your early 20's thinking "nothing will happen to me. I have all the time in the world." I'm gonna sound like the old guy for a minute. I don't care! Let me promise you, your vices WILL catch up with you. McDonald's 3 times a day WILL kill you. It may not be now but sooner than later you will have enjoyed your last drink, your last cigarette, or your last hit of whatever stupid and destructive substance you choose to indulge in.
Before I lived in Tennessee I came from a small town with only a few thousand people. In the past 3 years I've known well over 10 people that we lost to drugs or poor health. I used to smoke sometimes 2+ packs of cigarettes a day! I've been over it for 10 years. I used to never to to the gym and just eat whatever crap I wanted. In recent years I've been taking small steps in all those areas to improve and not let things spiral out of control.
What can you do? What are you willing to do? You have 2 choices. Blow me off and potentially have fun now all the way to an early grave OR you might have the sense to change something.
You may not view it as important now. I get it. But trust me you will care eventually. You don't want to be that person laying in an early hospital bed thinking, "if I didn't use XYZ I wouldn't be here." You don't want to spend your life fixing and regretting your bad decisions. I have seen friends I went to school with who were my age or younger DIE NEEDLESSLY. Drugs took them, drinking cut their lives short, eating horrible processed foods wrecked their bodies and made them sick.
You don't want this to be you! Get to the gym NOW. Work on cutting unhealthy vices NOW! If you are facing addiction issues GET HELP NOW. You don't want to be the man or woman who reads this post and winds us in the obituary due to something you could have done differently. Take care of it now. Not a year from now, not a month from now or a day day from now...NOW. Your health becomes your number one priority once you don't have it. Don't wait that long.
I Corinthians 6:19-20: (19) Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; (20) you are bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Matt
Comments