Life matters

In a class I teach on walking with Jesus there have been people who have benefited and seen good results from a walk program. One fellow has adopted a healthy eating program and despite back problems has found help in walking with the aid of a cane and another has loss allot of weight walking everyday. The spiritual lessons and insights from the point of view of a walker everybody in the class has enjoyed.
In the battle for health though is sometimes very hard for some to grasp and get a hold of. One fellow who studied with me had a severe mental illness and is morbidly obese and physical condition in very critical condition. Despite my encouragement to seek medical help, he had many difficulties that left him in a hopeless condition. He passed today. Not everybody can get it together to effectively change the course of their lives. The one thing I observed was the fact he felt accepted and loved despite his crippling impairments. I brought happiness to him many times as he would laugh with me over many funny antedates. He knew he was loved and he taught me many of the obstacles we have to move from a critical state of sudden death to a better place of health. For a brief time each week he was accepted for who he was. Every day he would call me and several times a week we would share a few ideas together as friends. I will miss him. I wish I could have helped more but health can be elusive at the end despite our desires. He prayed for me everyday.
He was an outcast to many but to me he was a friend. When I was in the hospital very few "normal people" visited me. There were some, but most were who I would call unexpected visitors. They were different in one way or another. I thought I was helping them but they were the ones helping me when I needed it most.
Don't take life for granted, make good decisions and keep walking