November 11th

From Wisdom for Today:

The Bible tells the story of the "Prodigal Son." In real life I lived this same story. I took my life and wasted it on insane living. Everything of any value to me was being destroyed by my addiction. Drinking and drugging led me down a path to destruction. After I had lost my family and my self-respect and anything that resembled hope, I had nowhere to turn. Everything was gone. "When he came to his senses, he said, I will go to my father." This is what an addict or an alcoholic does in the Twelve Step program. I had lost all hope; there was nowhere else to turn. I had to turn to a Power outside of myself.

Sometimes I wonder what caused me to turn to my senses. Somehow in the middle of my insanity, I turned back and looked for an answer. It was not inside of me. Everything I had tried didn't work. It had to be outside of me. I came to believe that I was not the answer. Sanity and wisdom returned. In defeat I found victory. In surrender I found hope and a way out. Have I stopped looking to myself for a way out?

Meditations for the Heart:

"Keep it simple, stupid," is a slogan that teaches us that when we complicate life and lose sight of simplicity, I can take my troubles and blow them way out of proportion. I have found that simplicity is a way to unburden myself of heavy loads. When I face my problems honestly and carry them to my Higher Power, I find that I am rewarded with answers or directions for making my problems better. Believe me, it is not always easy to do this; but this simple concept does work. When I try to be my own Higher Power and run the show my way, my problems invariably get worse. When I retreat into denial or pretend that my problems don't exist, eventually they get worse. But when I surrender them to God and ask for His help, things change for the better. They don't always change the way I would expect, but change happens, and the problems do get better. Do I see the simplicity of surrender?

Petitions to my Higher Power:

God,

Sometimes I still wander off the path of recovery. I don't drink or use, but I loose sight of the steps and keeping it simple. Each time I do this, things get crazy for me again. I am so grateful that I can turn back to You, God, over and over again to be led back to the path of recovery. Help me keep things simple today.

Amen.