Episode Transcript
Yeah, it's all too often said that there are no miracles performed these days. Well, I'd like to challenge this idea with my story. I thought it was supposed to smoke.
Welcome to miracles in the 21st century. I'm Beau Gallagher. Now, when I was very young, like, I always remember my parents, like, smoke like chimneys.
And I always remember times like I was in. In the car with my brother and it was winter, and my mum and dad would have the windows up and I was like, oh, you know, me and my brother in the back going, oh, mum, could you please, like, you know, open the window up a little bit? And they're like, oh, okay, I'll open it up like an inch. And, you know, so like, like back then it was very, like, common to, yeah, just smoke in the house.
And there was no, like, you know, horrible judgments on people that smoked, like everywhere. Like, you could smoke inside, it didn't matter where it was, and the kids just had to wear that kind of stuff and, you know, unhealthily get exposed to the chemicals all day. And so I thought you grew up or when you grew up that you.
You smoked. And I thought I was old enough. I thought I was old enough by, I guess, eight, I think I was in.
Oh, was it eight or 10? I think it was. I was in year five. I started smoking and I remember someone asking me recently, it's like, oh, that never smoked.
And said, they asked me, how long until you get addicted? And I guess. And I said, well, it depends on, I guess, your, you know, your parents and, you know, the people in your family. Because some people have got addictive personalities and, you know, can get addicted quite quickly.
And I guess, like I said to him, I said, look, I felt like a cigarette the next day at the same time I had my first cigarette ever. So I gather, like, I was very addicted, had a very addictive personality. And by the next day, the same, around the same time, I had cravings for a cigarette.
And from there on, like, at 10, I smoked quite heavily. It was easy for me to get cigarettes. I could just take a pack from my mum's carton and off I went.
And like, there's a lot of things in my life where I had a horrible addictive personality. And that kind of come from my mum side, I believe. And the reason I'm sharing this story is because, like, I've had a lot of miracles in my life.
But God knows that this miracle of him taking away cigarettes, the craving for cigarettes was a personal one for me and a big One for me. And look, I've been. I was smoking for, like, most of my life, like, 30 years or so, and, like, you know, a pack a day or more.
And I. From probably 25 to, you know, 40, I think. When did I stop? I stopped when I was 40.
45, I think. So, yeah, 25 to 45. I was smoking heavily, and I tried to quit from 25.
So I was on nicotine replacement. And then I'd get over the hard bit and then. And then pick it up again.
Like, when it was easy, I could get through the hard bit, but when it became easy, that's when the temptation would creep in. And this kept going for years and years. And I went to the doctor about it.
I went on this medication called Champex, where it's supposed to have stopped the cravings, and it kind of did, but I could never last more than a few months. Like, and which is funny because, yeah, like, I could get over this hard struggle, and then when things become easy, I would crumble and, you know, pick up a cigarette, and it always just took that one. And I knew that.
And, like, you know, the enemy would. Knew how to get to me too. Like, he would get to a point where he would implant in my head that I'm not good enough and I'm destined to just smoke and do all this or do all these things, and then I'll just pick up again.
So, like, the miracle around this is that when I was. A few years ago, I got on my knees and asked God for a fighting chance and never prayed so hard in my life. He.
He talked to me quite a lot, and he got rid of a lot of things. But this cigarette thing was really something that really, really touched my heart because I remember I was gonna get on, like, nicotine placement patches again. And I just remember hearing this small voice telling me, saying, no, trust me.
Just. Yeah, just talk to me. Just look at me instead.
And I did. I said, okay, I won't go on any indicator and replacement. And I didn't.
And from that day on, I never craved a cigarette again. And, yeah, it's like, for me, this is a very personal one because my mum died of lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. And I knew how she struggled all through her life with cigarettes.
And I thought I was going down the same track to the point where you had the same kind of symptoms I had. Like, when I got on my knees, I had, like, a lung embolism, and I had clots in my lungs and emphysema as well. I was struggling with because, yeah, I was like a spray painter as well.
So, yeah, it wasn't looking good. And yeah, God, just I just remember that small still voice saying, just, yeah, just trust me. Just don't worry about the patches.
I've got you. And he did. So I just praise God for this.
And I'll just read you a verse that I like in regards to this. Jeremiah 17:14 oh Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed. If you save me, I'll be truly saved.
My praises are for you alone. And they are like, I am so grateful for what he's done in my life, and I continue to have the same gratitude every day when I wake up. So, yeah, thank you, God, for giving me that miracle.
And ultimately it's your victory. So I just praise you for that.
