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Smoker
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By Gary James Smith
Other Poems by Gary James Smith



Smoker
 
 
I use to be a smoker

Many years ago

Two and a half large packs

Sixty cigarettes or so

That my daily consumption 

I was going up in smoke

An obvious result of which

Also getting broke
 


I tried to quit them oft times

When sick or out of money

But somehow I survived the quit

It wasn't even funny

New Year's resolutions 

Another ploy I tried

This was a dismal failure too

And guess what? I survived

 

My quitting was appalling 

A successful failure me

Time and time again I tried

Guess what? Futility 

But I was not a quitter

Smoking proved it such

Even though I wanted too

I was in a clutch

 

Here comes the unbelievable 

Story that I'll tell

How finally I quit smoking 

And it served me very well
 
In fact I've shared with others

What I'll  share with you today

So  you want to quit smoking do ya?

Then you'll have to learn to pray

 

Really! I'm not kidding and

It's a well proven fact

Just ask my wife! She'll tell ya

She knew where I was at

She often rolled them for me

Although she didn't smoke

I can feel your admonishment 

Why'd you do that you bloke 


 
She the obedient wifey

Followed my commands

And rolled them with aborment 

At the request of my demands

But before you pass on judgment 

And think me real mean

She wasn't rolling them by hand

But with a cigarette rolling machine


 
Getting back to my story

And the sharing of it

I didn't tell my wife this time

That I was trying to quit

For I had told her often before

That I was quitting smoking

She watched my successful failing score

And assumed that I was joking


 
This time I truly meant it

And wouldn't give her the satisfaction 

Of saying "see I told you so"

No! That would never happen! 

How many times I'd starred at them

The cigarettes in my hands

And while I puffed saying "no" inside

I gave in to its demands


 
Here is where that part comes in

The part to do with prayer

Stay with me now! Don't leave off

It could help you here

We were attending a local church

On a fine Sunday

They never talked about smoking

They never told me to pray

 

They didn't know my addiction 

To the cigarettes 

They didn't  know my mindset

Just where I was at
 
But God knew what I needed

Just to hear that day

He used it as a catapult 

To make me seek to pray

 

The pastor talked on Creation

And the awe of it

How God not only created

But sustained it....every bit!

The sun, the moon, the stars

Each one in their place

I became awestruck as well

Of God's amazing grace


 
When we left that church

My mind was still areeling 

I never thought about God that way 

It was an awesome feeling

If He could do all that!

And the pastor wasn't joking

How could He not deliver me from

My ordeal with cigarette smoking  


 
So I prayed " dear God

If You can do all that

Then surely You can deliver me 

From every cigarette pack

I pray to You dear God

Upon Your reputation

,Help me have the victory

And not give in to temptation

 

I'll begin this very moment

To impliment that prayer

When the temptation comes to smoke

God you'll meet me there

So with a dollar in my pocket

A store a mile away

The temptation came"go buy a pack!"

But no! I began to pray

 

Lord help me not give in

To this temptation today

And I'll thank You in advance

For the "victory"

I kept faithfully at it

Sixty some times each day

When smoking "temptations" came along

I always began to pray


 
Day number two was happening 

Usually first thing was a smoke

But I was faithful in praying


To me it wasn't a joke

Didn't breathe a word to wifey 

This was between God and me

Still with that dollar in pocket 

Temptation? Sixty some times it tried


 
I noticed I was changing

In my attitude

Not grumpy or complaining

As a smoker would

I was feeling better

Praying was really working

In my duty to this task

I was not a shirking 

 

Then day three came along

I awoke with no desire

To have any cigarettes 

The temptations had expired

Thank you Lord for giving me

Victory over this

I was really overjoyed

And filled with genuine bliss


 
I then shared with my wife

Have you noticed any difference? 

My changed attitude being the referral 

To which I was making inference 

"No not really" she replied

I was a tad disappointed 

But then I told her that I quit

But it was God anointed!


 
It's been forty three years smoke free

And no I'm not a gloating

Just so thankful to my God

For delivering me from smoking 

As I've shared with you

My prayerful implementation 

If you too would wish to quit

He'll give "victory" over temptation!

 

Copyright January   2  2015  9:30 
 
Gary James Smith 


 


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Submitted: Friday, January 2, 2015

Last Updated: Friday, January 2, 2015

About the Poet
I came to know the Lord as my personal Saviour in January of 1972. I was married on Oct 21,1966 to my wife Linda who also loves the Lord. We have ten children and now twenty-four grand children. In Aug 2012 we got the announcement of the birth of our first GREAT grand child (a baby girl). I was thrilled to find others of like precious faith and belief in Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! What a Savior! I am presently living in Champion, Alberta, Canada but we are originally from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. That is where the poem Canadian Tribute to America was birthed. One Sunday as I walked across the city on my way to church I came to the top of a hill and looked across at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. After watching the events of the Sept 11 tragedy it was weighing on my heart and mind and the Lord gave me these words. We came to Calgary and when my oldest daughter saw this poem she said, �Dad, what�s this?� and I said a poem and she replied �Dad, that�s not a poem , that�s a song� and she then went to the piano and began to sing and play it. The result of which turned into a song entitled, A Canadian Tribute to America which she recorded on CD. garyjamessmith2005@yahoo.ca


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