Sometimes it feels like it's too late for my patients. It's not that they're about to die, but so often the people I see as a doctor are coming to get help too late. It's not that I can't help them, or don't want to. It's just that often the problem didn't need to happen in the first place.

Yes, the healthcare system has become a sickness-care system. It can be difficult to afford medical care, and difficult to access care as well. And yes, there are some medical problems that cannot be prevented.

But too often I see patients who want a magic fix for something they spent a long time causing themselves, knowingly or unknowingly. And many times there's just no perfect fix available. As medical professionals we do our best to treat problems that arise, but there are limits to what medical science can do.

We get into trouble when we expect God to reverse the effects of our decisions and lifestyle. God does not often eliminate the results of our behavior. He usually gives us the dignity of experiencing the consequences of our choices.

You might consider that bad news. But it isn't! Even when we've made a mess of things, it's never too late to make positive changes. And those seemingly small changes often add up to significant benefits. God's grace is strong to support you in doing what you CAN to live right.

If you have spent a long time living badly, reversing course may feel overwhelming. But may I remind you that you didn't get here in a day. Simple small changes in the right direction often have amazing results. Here are a few things we know, humanly speaking, that are manageable, and within your power to change:

• If you're overweight, losing just one pound takes four pounds of pressure off your knees. Losing just ten percent of your body fat decreases your risk for diabetes, improves your cholesterol and blood pressure, and may greatly improve a woman's reproductive function.
• If you're a smoker with bad lung disease, quitting now will stop further deterioration and may allow significant improvement of your lung function. Your blood pressure and heart function will improve. And even after getting lung cancer, if you quit tobacco you'll live longer.
• If you're sedentary, just 10-15 minutes of physical activity will start to increase your metabolism, will increase blood flow and oxygen levels in your body, and will improve your mental functioning and muscle strength.
• If your family is fragmented, eating together just twice a week will improve communication, lessen the chance your teens will get into trouble, and probably improve your nutritional health as a bonus.

          So you see, it's never really too late! Perhaps there are some things that are permanently lost, but that doesn't mean healthy changes won't benefit you now. The message of the gospel is that you CAN begin again, from where you are right now. You combine your determination together with God's miraculous grace - wonderful things can happen!

Never Too Early