Chuck Negron passed away last week. His name may not be familiar to everyone, but most people know his voice. Throughout the 70s he was one-third of the rock group Three Dog Night — and they were about as successful as a rock group can be, with eleven top ten hits and 50 million records sold. Remember Joy to the World?
During this time, Chuck was rich, famous, and on top of the world. He had everything — including, unfortunately, a heroin habit that he just couldn’t shake.
During the course of his career he made more than one hundred attempts at rehabilitation — including 36 hospitals stays — and he failed again and again.
His addiction finally destroyed his career, taking everything he had. He even sold his gold records to buy coke. He wound up living on the floor of an East L.A. crack house.
His story could have ended there, but it didn’t.
In spite of his failed attempts, and in spite of that voice that kept telling him, “You’ll never change,” he called up the courage to try one more time. He entered the “Cry Help” program. Finally, after decades of failure, he won the battle.
During this time he also gave his life to Christ, which was foundational to his recovery. He spent the next 30+ years of his life clean and sober, often touring, sharing his story, working at every opportunity with drug counseling and intervention programs.
Chuck’s story illustrates what the message of the gospel is about. After a lifetime of losing, after everyone else had written him off, he tried one more time — and this time it worked.
This week’s memo features the same verse as last week, because we all need to hear it so often. Maybe our failures aren’t as dramatic as a life-destroying addiction, but they can keep us down just the same, if we let them. That’s why Solomon said…
For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes. (Proverbs 24:16)
Here’s to getting up one more time.
Chuck Negron, thanks for showing us that it can be done.
© 2011/206 All Rights Reserved. This memo first appeared at Preaching Library.
