The Talk

The Talk

The LORD your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live! Deuteronomy 30:6

Dwayne wasn’t a zombie, but he was certainly a dead man walking. His cholesterol was over 300 with an LDL (the bad kind of cholesterol) reading of nearly 200. He refused to take his blood pressure medicine because he said it made him feel tired and weak, so his blood pressure was often dangerously high. And if that weren’t enough, Dwayne also smoked. In fact, he had smoked two packs a day for more than thirty years.

“Dwayne, we need to talk about your health,” I said.

“Yes, sir,” he said, lowering his head. Dwayne had heard it all before, and he didn’t need evidence that what he was doing was unhealthy. His father and uncles had died in their fifties from massive heart attacks.

“You’ve already outlived every male relative by three years or more. You’re in your midfifties now, but you’ve dodged some bullets to get here.” He shifted in his seat, and I could see he was sweating. “It’s only the good Lord who has kept you alive and brought you to this point. But if you want to walk your daughter down the aisle when she gets married, you need to make some changes.”

“You’re right. I know my heart is going to give out if I don’t change my ways.”

As Dwayne and I talked, he agreed to quit smoking, lose weight, eat better, and start taking his blood pressure medicine. Though he was anxious and sweating at the beginning of our conversation, he seemed agreeable to the plan at the end.

“Thanks, Doc, for the heart-to-heart talk. I love my family, and I want to be around for them.”

Two years later, when Dwayne came for his annual checkup, he showed me a photo of himself with a beautiful young woman. He had stopped smoking, his blood pressure was normal, and he was fifty pounds lighter.

“You look great, Dwayne!” I said. “Where was the photo taken?”

“At my daughter’s wedding,” he said with a grin. “Thank the Lord!”

Dwayne had known he was living on borrowed time, and he had decided to get right with himself—and with the Lord who had protected him.

TODAY’S RX

You only have one heart. Care for it spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

Father, you’ve blessed me with life and given me this body to care for. Help me to treat it right and not take it for granted. Thank you for caring for me always.