I remember as a kid my aunt taking me home one dark, foggy evening. We lived out in the country, so the road was one of dirt. The fog was so thick that night. We could not see anything. The early days of recovery are foggy at best. Living life without our drug of choice, without enabling our loved one, without controlling, is a foreign concept. Living with the loss from death of a loved one, loss of job, home, health, and the early days of separation and divorce, are uncharted territory. All that we have known is no longer.
The fog begins to lift in those early days, weeks, and months of recovery. We develop a new way of seeing. This new way of seeing comes from core spiritual principles and practices found in scripture and the 12 Steps. These principles and practices become the foundation of a new way of living. Four of these principles and practices include the following: one day at a time, let go and let God, gratitude, and keep coming back.
We will kick off the new year and the series New Way of Seeing on January 2nd which will focus on these four principles. Our first principle and practice will be “one day at a time”. This simple yet rich principle begins the process of staying in this day, not living in the past nor focusing on what if or what could be. Dr. Bob, one of the cofounders of Alcoholics Anonymous, shared with a sponsee that “one day at a time” is rooted in the words of Matthew 6:34 (Dick B. 87). The message on January 2nd will focus on Matthew 6:25-34, with specific emphasis on Matthew 6:34. The Serenity Prayer is a very helpful tool for living one day at a time. We will share in communion together as well, the meal that we don’t deserve, yet can’t live without.
The second principle is the focus of January 9th. We will share about letting go and letting God. Recovery begins with us holding on tightly to what we have known. Letting go and letting God requires us to let go of that which we have held onto so tightly. Our weekly study group will lead the message on this night, which will also focus on Psalm 46, particularly verse 10.
The third principle is gratitude. Gratitude seems lost or unknown as we enter recovery. There is nothing to be grateful for, or so we think. We feel entitled or worthless, far from being able to give thanks in each day. January 16th, we will dive into the story of the one leper who returned to thank Jesus in Luke 17:11-19. We will consider our practices of gratitude.
We conclude the series with Stay, keep coming back on January 23rd. Around the anonymous rooms we often hear, “Keep coming back”. Time and time again, we see folks come in and out of recovery, not just those addicted to a substance, but the whole family. There is much to be said about putting one foot in front of the other and staying.
Join us as we find a “new way of seeing” and remember those invaluable principles and practices of early recovery. We look forward to you joining us on the journey.
Dick B. The Good Book and The Big Book: A. A.’s Roots in the Bible. Kihei, Hawaii: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1997.
