Through Smoke

I am a really big fan of the band Needtobreathe. If you don't know them, you should check them out. They've been around for awhile, and just keep getting better. That's my opinion, and I'm sticking with it! On their most recent album, they have a song called, "Through Smoke." The lyrics to this song sound to me like a cry from one who has a belief in God, and even when things in life get hazy through the smoke of confusion and doubt, they trust that God can find them anyway. (More artistic and poetic people might disagree, but we're all entitled to differing opinions!)

When I was a senior in high school, I worked as a cashier at Kmart. One evening, they moved me to the pharmacy to fill in for one of their usual pharmacy cashiers that was sick. I discovered just how little I knew about medicines and such! One particular story stands out in my memories of that day.

A lady that looked to be in her late 20's came back to the pharmacy department, and began to scan through and examine the different boxes containing all the gums, patches, and other systems designed to help people quit smoking. I very distinctly remember the look in her eyes as she turned to me after ten minutes of reading different packaging. She had a very real look of pleading, and almost desperation to her. She asked me if I knew which one would work the best or was most-recommended.

Admitting my ignorance, and trying to be understanding, I told her I'd ask the pharmacist. I stepped into his little area, and relayed the question. He stepped out and with almost a chuckle, told her that really they were all pretty much worthless and didn't do enough to really help. The best way to quit was just flat will power.

I felt horrible for this poor lady. Here she was, trying to quit an unhealthy habit, and looking to someone she thought she could trust for a little help, and probably even a little hope. Unfortunately, the phamacists was a bit cold and didn't seem to deliver on either of those. After he stepped away, she hesitantly picked one of the boxes and brought it over to my register. Attempting a smile, she said, "I guess I'll just try this one, and see what happens." She tried to sound positive, but even then, I could tell that she wasn't hopeful, no thanks to the pharmacists.

I rung her out, and wished her luck in quitting. It seemed like the right thing to do, and was a desperate attempt to show her some kindness after the "professional" was such a nay-sayer. After she walked away, I stepped back into the pharmacy booth to ask another question and discovered a horrifying event. While he was filling a prescription bottle, the pharmacist was actually smoking, and had a cigarette with almost an inch of ash hanging precariously from his lips. No wonder he didn't seem to offer much hope; he was a smoker himself! Unlike the lady who wanted to stop, this guy didn't seem to care, and obviously had no intention of quitting.

I learned two important lessons that night. The first was to never, EVER, have a prescription filled at this particular pharmacy. The second is that many times, people are desperately seeking help in finding freedom from the ensnaring patterns of sin in their lives. They look for answers, but only get more confused, filling their life with this smoke. When they have trouble making sense of all the solutions and just get further lost in the cloud, they ask for help. Unfortunately, many of the people who claim to be "professionals" in this matter are in no better position to help than the ones looking for freedom. They are in the same type of situation, but have justified being there so much that they become as smug and/or negative as that pharmacist!

We are all sinners, caught in the same net. There's no way of ignoring what scripture says of that. (Romans 3:23) But, God does forgive us in Christ (1 John 1:9), and helps us to throw off the sins that trap us. (Hebrews 12:1) Yes, Christians still make mistakes, but we know that we don't necessarily have to find our way out of the smoke. We just know that we can call on One who rises above the smoke and can find us, even when we can't see Him. We can be free from the permanent enslavement of sin and can experience forgiveness on a level unlike anything this world can offer.

If we know people who are looking for relief, we need to offer them an “introduction” to who we know. They will still have the choice to believe or deny what we share, but if we don’t try, they may never know. We never know which seed we plant will grow, but by trying, we are at least extending hope to those who have the look of desperation in their eyes. Who knows? We may have the privilege of watching them come to know The One who never loses sight of them through all of their smoke. What a breath of fresh air that will be!