I have always had a cautious relationship wit the term Recovery. In the beginning of my journey in sobriety I was all about not drinking a moment at a time. A moment was all I had and all I could handle. I clung to right now. I needed to be distracted from the discomfort and anxiety of the now. And as I cleared up I hurt in ways I didn’t know existed. I was an old man with aches and pains in a young old body. And every day I was sober presented new challenges. But sometimes my discoveries were good.
I remember my first spring after getting sober in November. I was very uncomfortable, but somehow I opened my eyes and looked around. I was blown away. I saw the colors of spring. I saw color and recognized it. I wasn’t sure how to react. I decided it was good. Sobriety had benefits. It wasn’t all pain and hurt.
Sobriety became complicated as I thawed out. I had an image of getting sober as thawing out. God as I understood Him was full of grace and controlled the rate and direction of my thawing. Sometimes it was the colors of springs. Other times it was the frozen rage and hurt and anger. Often it was the garbage that sent me to drink in the first place. I learned this getting sober thing was progressive. As I went along I had to listen and take suggestions. Today’s program wasn’t going to handle what was coming the next day. I had to grow and change to keep up with what? Was this just staying sober today? No, it was recovery into a new world. And it was crashing into my new normal. It was crashing into the fruits of my past.
Remember who ever we are and where ever we came from the journey is similar. For the drunk or an addict we are dropped into a world of responsibility. For the sinner who comes to Jesus we are dropped into a new confusing world. But they are similar. Whoever we are we hope this new world will protect us. Both of us learn it does protect us. Until it doesn’t! We both take a journey of painful discovery. In our new worlds we both have to learn where the snakes are and where the angels are.
In both our worlds all we have is each other and the care of a grace filled power. What we fight over is names. For any of us God is able to name himself in His good time. Recovery is a journey. Please let’s not shoot each other in the process.
A final note. Brother and Sisters in Christ, please talk human not tribal to brother and sisters in secular recovery. To my fellow travelers in secular recovery please be patient with my family of faith we tend to forget we are very human stuff.
For Recovery Troops Don’t drink don’t use! For my Christen brothers and Sisters He has Risen!
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