I don’t remember how old he was. Not quite 50. I hadn’t seen him in years. My last memory of him wasn’t the most pleasant, either.

I was watching the season premiere of Duck Dynasty when I got the phone call. One minute I was laughing, the other I was debating on whether to cry or just stay in shock.

Life really does change in the blink of an eye. 

Your uncle was found dead in the bathroom of Hardee’s with a needle in his arm.

Just like that. Another life destroyed by addiction. More kids without a father. Family members asking why.
I tried to soak up the reality that he was really dead, but I couldn’t get my mind off something else – his salvation.

Another life taken by addiction, but another soul lost. 

You ask, “Wait a minute. How do you know he wasn’t saved?”
Jesus said in Matthew 7:16 we will know others by their fruit, that is, by the way they act.
Unfortunately, my uncle’s fruit wasn’t appealing. His words didn’t honor. His actions either. He was a lost man, seeking signifigance in everything but God, the true source of our significance.

And now there are no more second chances for him.

That breaks my heart, and I want it to break the hearts of others. I want my family to open their eyes to the truth. I want them to understand their purpose can only truly be fulfilled in one way – through Jesus.
I desire for them to stop pretending. To stop letting addiction take over their lives. To stop letting the abuse of their past control their future. My heart cries out for them to fully understand the meaning of redemption.

After our last breath, there are no more second chances. 

My uncle died a lonely man, way too early in life. He died broken. Hurting. Lost. He will never experience freedom in Christ, because his fate has already been decided. That’s a reality I’m having a hard time swallowing, but I know it’s true.
I watched addiction take my dad, now my uncle. When does it end?

God, my prayer today is for everyone one of us who has or is still struggling with some kind of addiction. Whether it’s drugs, alcohol, food, or our jobs. Help us get our eyes focused on you as the only source who can fulfill our lives. Forgive me when I run to things besides you. Thank you for second chances. Thank you for your strength to overcome. Jesus came to bind the broken hearted and set the captvies free. May we surrender to you, throw our hands in the air and confess that we can’t do this life without You. May we run to you and pour our hearts out to you. May no final breath be taken without knowing we will spend eternity with you.