November 23rd

From Wisdom for Today:

It was like a light switch was suddenly turned on, and I could see just how messy my house had become. Early in the recovery process, I learned that honesty brought my addiction into this light. By sharing my story and all the troubles my addiction had led me into, I gained strength. By talking about the hospitals, jails and the demise of my family, I started the process of cleaning house. By sharing the money problems and all the foolish things I had done and talking about my suicidal behavior when I was wasted, I uncovered more and more of what had been hidden.

As I brought more and more of my life and addiction into the open, I gained both a sense of relief and a sense of strength. At first, I was worried that I would be judged and looked down on; but as I shared, I found more and more people that had experiences in common with me. I found out I was not alone. The strength I found in knowing this was very empowering. By witnessing my personal struggles and defeat at the hands of addiction, I became stronger. Do I recognize the strength I receive simply by sharing my story?

Meditations for the Heart:

By sharing the events of my life as an addict and alcoholic, I managed to start the house cleaning. But I knew there was more dirt and clutter hiding in the closets and under the rugs in my home. Simply stopping drinking and drugging and sharing my story were not all that I needed to do. This surface cleaning was only the beginning. There still were all the secrets. If I was to move forward in my recovery, I needed more strength; and I needed more faith. I had my own understanding of the world. Everything fit into a nice, neat package. But when the light switch of honesty was turned on, I suddenly realized that my beliefs were limited. The truth was that there was much that I didn’t understand or comprehend. There was much that I simply had to take on faith. Have I surrendered my old ways of thinking and accepted that I do not have all the answers?

Petitions to my Higher Power:

God,

It has been amazing to me how this program works. By sharing all the ugly aspects of my addiction, You have made me stronger. By admitting my weakness, I have found strength and hope. By accepting that I am not god, I have been opened to accepting that You are God.

Amen.