I wanted what alcohol promised but never delivered. Sobriety delivers what alcohol can’t: life and sanity. (The Promises)The first half of my life, it sounded boring. On the contrary, sober living is anything but.
When I was drinking, I felt like I was being eaten alive by insecurities and pummeled by my pride’s foolishness. Alcohol kept inviting me to break free while walking me into a dark cell of hopelessness.
Hopelessness is no place to camp.
Every minute I have lived not drinking, I have lived. I have lived with understanding:
While I am not the center of the universe, I am the apple of God’s eye. (Zechariah 2:8)
While trouble hasn’t stayed away from door, I have been given tools and wisdom by God and through the program to live in the midst of both trials and blessings (Philippians 4:11)
While it took me some time to get over the craving for a drink, I enjoy all that alcohol hid from me – beginning with HOPE.
God, revealed in Christ, rescued me – but you dear reader may not believe a supernatural power exists. Keep an open mind and a willing spirit if you realize your life is unmanageable due to your use of alcohol. (An Atheist’s Guide to 12-Step Recovery)
Yep, I’m an alcoholic; I am not a hopeless drunk. Waking up from the nightmare of active alcoholism and living without a drink is a pretty good way to spend a day.
Alcohol promised a wonderland with no work; personal peace and affluence with no sweat – the reality I wanted with absolutely no way to achieve it. Sobriety enables me to work, enjoy, and rest. In sobriety I have come to believe I have what I have, am what I am, because God knows what I need. He makes a way for me and you, dear reader to have it all — in an abundance that truly satisfies.
Happy New Year! May this be a time of NEW beginnings for thee and me!
Love in Christ,
Sober and Grateful
