Article December 14, 1998 Issue

Snuff out the smoking habit permanently. Let God step on it

From three packs a day to freedom

By Robert W. Timm

I started smoking when I was fifteen. Looking back, I wonder what could have appealed to me about sticking a burning object in my mouth and inhaling its smoke, not to mention having nothing more to show for my money than a mountain of butts, a pile of ashes, and bad breath.

Still, I was stuck—I enjoyed smoking. So even as I was drawn back into the faith of my youth, Christian Science, I didn't consider kicking my three-pack-a-day cigarette habit. I had quit once before, through willpower, and it hurt, both physically and mentally. During the time that I wasn't lighting up, I still enjoyed the smell of smoke. Anytime I happened by people smoking, I relished the aroma. Not surprisingly, I took up the habit again, thinking cigarettes would be part of my life forever.

But as my spiritual study deepened, one thought—a message from God—would not leave me alone. I kept asking myself, What kind of example are you setting for your daughter? When I was in school, I'd seen kids follow their parents' lead by taking up smoking at an early age.

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