The Hope to Try One More Time
Three Dog Night: (standing) Joe Schermie, Michael Allsup, Jimmy Greenspoon, Chuck Negron, Danny Hutton; (seated) Floyd Sneed, Cory Wells
GUEST BLOGGER REV. CHRIS AYDLETT
The name Chuck Negron may not be immediately recognizable, but you have probably heard his music. For more than a decade he sang with the rock band Three Dog Night.
You remember them, don't you? “One Is The Loneliest Number”...”Joy To the World”...”An Old Fashioned Love Song” — any of these ring a bell?
The name Chuck Negron may not be immediately recognizable, but you have probably heard his music. For more than a decade he sang with the rock band Three Dog Night.
You remember them, don't you? “One Is The Loneliest Number”...”Joy To the World”...”An Old Fashioned Love Song” — any of these ring a bell?
For a while Chuck had it all. He and his band had eleven top ten hits and sold 50 million records. He was rich. He was famous. He was on top of the world.
He had everything — including an addiction to heroin that he just couldn't shake. It wasn't that he hadn't tried. During the course of his career he made more than 100 attempts at rehabilitation — including 35 hospitals stays — and yet Chuck failed again and again.
After pawning his gold records to buy cocaine, Chuck hit rock-bottom (no pun intended); he wound up living on the floor of an East L.A. crack house. He had lost everything. Everything, that is, except hope.
In spite of all his failed attempts, Chuck tried one more time. He entered a program called "Cry Help" and finally, after 20 years of failure, he won the battle. He's been clean for 15 years, and he now works with counseling and intervention programs for musicians.
It took more than 100 tries, but he finally made it.
Reading Chuck's story (his book is called Three Dog Nightmare), I thought of the times in my life when I have been tempted to give up too soon — deciding it was easier to live with losing than struggle for success.
I also thought of the man who, discouraged by his inability to conquer a besetting sin, once said, "If I really had it in me to be good, I wouldn't keep failing."
Solomon, the writer of Proverbs wouldn't agree. He tells us that even a good person can fall again and again. But Solomon also tells us that the defining characteristic of goodness is the ability to get back up. His exact words are...
Though the righteous man falls seven times, he rises again; but the wicked are brought down by calamity. (Proverbs 24:16)
You, too, may have been tempted to say, "It's just no use. I've failed at this too many times...Why should I keep trying? This is one habit I will never break, one sin I will never conquer, one failure I will never overcome." According to the Bible, you don't have to give up. The only thing that stands between you and ultimate victory is the willingness to try again.
Do you want to become good? Then get back up. Even if you lose some battles along the way, as long as you're willing to keep trying, you're sure to win the war.
I love you all,
Pastor Chris
He had everything — including an addiction to heroin that he just couldn't shake. It wasn't that he hadn't tried. During the course of his career he made more than 100 attempts at rehabilitation — including 35 hospitals stays — and yet Chuck failed again and again.
After pawning his gold records to buy cocaine, Chuck hit rock-bottom (no pun intended); he wound up living on the floor of an East L.A. crack house. He had lost everything. Everything, that is, except hope.
In spite of all his failed attempts, Chuck tried one more time. He entered a program called "Cry Help" and finally, after 20 years of failure, he won the battle. He's been clean for 15 years, and he now works with counseling and intervention programs for musicians.
It took more than 100 tries, but he finally made it.
Reading Chuck's story (his book is called Three Dog Nightmare), I thought of the times in my life when I have been tempted to give up too soon — deciding it was easier to live with losing than struggle for success.
I also thought of the man who, discouraged by his inability to conquer a besetting sin, once said, "If I really had it in me to be good, I wouldn't keep failing."
Though the righteous man falls seven times, he rises again; but the wicked are brought down by calamity. (Proverbs 24:16)
You, too, may have been tempted to say, "It's just no use. I've failed at this too many times...Why should I keep trying? This is one habit I will never break, one sin I will never conquer, one failure I will never overcome." According to the Bible, you don't have to give up. The only thing that stands between you and ultimate victory is the willingness to try again.
Do you want to become good? Then get back up. Even if you lose some battles along the way, as long as you're willing to keep trying, you're sure to win the war.
I love you all,
Pastor Chris
Reverend Chris Aydlett is the Senior Pastor of Edenton United Methodist Church. This post appeared in the church's February, 2018 Newsletter
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