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I met a man who, as far as I could tell, had reached the height of his success. He was recently retired, with plenty of money in the bank. He built a house, a very fine one, on a promontory with a view to die for. He took his family on expansive trips. He kept up small interests, but apparently lost track of larger ones. As a secret to all but those closest to him, he took to drinking. In time (and not very much time) it killed him.
He wasn’t the first of my friends to die of liver failure.
The other was my friend Hugh from college days. Hugh was my older, intellectual mentor. Our long late-night talks were filled with wide-ranging topics, and always spiced with gin and tonic. I was underage and he had money. He bought the gin, I bought the tonic. We mixed the drinks 90/10 (to save on the tonic).
As I’ve mentioned before, I eventually discovered new light and moved on. Hugh never did. Years later, I heard how he died in a hospital back East. They’d offered him one more dire measure but he turned it down. He said he’d not been able to come up with a reason for living yet and couldn’t think of one now.
Seems his liver failure had to do first with a failure in living.
In both of the cases above, money was not a problem; there was plenty of it. Or maybe that was the problem.
Not that money is the reason we live. But the arrival at any of our goals can have a downside. Without reasons, we can find ourselves quite without purpose, direction or energy.
With or without hitting the bottle, it begins to kill the liver in us.
Speaking of reasons, I just came across a book on my shelf, Reason for Being, A Meditation on Ecclesiastes, by the French intellectual, Jacques Ellul. I read it years ago, twice. It’s all about the deeper things.
Which reminds me to remind you about my book, It’s About Life. Mine is a lighter touch on Ecclesiastes than Ellul’s but addresses topics that meet us every day. (And includes drawings from life’s sketchbook.)
There are lots of reasons for being. Don’t let yourself be without.
It’ll kill the liver.
(Sorry, this didn’t start out to be an informercial. But I know you would enjoy the book, as well as your friends. You can order them here.)
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PS. My recent talk on “It’s About Life” is HERE.
Our Lives Together
Its About Life
12:08 pm
Such good thoughts today Hyatt. Hope to hear more on this issue from you…”reason for being”. Very sobering examples. Iteresting point you make about the potential “dannger” of reaching your goals…especially if they revolve around material success.
With appreciation,
Pastor Adam Barton
Akron, Ohio
6:03 pm
Sorry about your friends, tough to see them go under like that. I guess there was no light at the end of their tunnel, for whatever reason hidden in them. So sad.
Life is hard and sometimes it takes discipline and reminders to continually go towards the Light. Thru famine and thru plenty, thru sadness and joy, we are ever walking towards the source of all life. To own the scripture … if thine eye be single, thy whole being shall be filled with light. Not easy to do if you are like me … bombarded with the distractions of modern life… and find solace and direction from His light, presence and Word.
8:26 pm
Life is a wonderful blessing that does not need the dulling of drugs like alcohol, but the blessing of expanding our horizons as we become the elders in the world in Christ.
I have seen too many go the way of your past friends – which is so sad and needless!!
10:13 pm
Always good to reflect on the real issues of life, Hyatt, especially at this time of year. Thankful for the Grace that opened your eyes in those earlier days, and we’re the blessed recipients with each blog, as you open your life to us. My piano families are loving your book, a classic and provoking collection, truly.
8:31 am
Seems to me that a lot of the problem revolves around our expectations. When we expect “success” to satisfy the longings of our soul, it’s going to hurt when we achieve our goals and find ourselves unsatisfied. People deal with their hurts in various ways: some determine to work even harder, some change their career focus, some try to anesthetize with alcohol or other drugs, and (thankfully) some re-adjust their expectations to align with Reality as defined in the Word. Surely God has much to teach us (me) through the Preacher of Ecclesiastes.
Thank you again, Hyatt, for sharing what He’s teaching your heart.
11:07 pm
Oh Hyatt, you are so right about this drinking thing and the money thing, both being things that can kill you if all your eggs go in either of these baskets. That is why I just love serving The Lord and only Him! He always puts things into perfect perspective. This is not our home! When we live for The Lord, He gives our life purpose. That is what it is all about, at least that is what I think and have learned. I happen to think it is so wise, straight from the Holy Spirit. Thank you again! Great blog! Best! Lisa