My Role

I have a great deal of training and experience oriented at recovery from addictions of various sorts.  I have a good understanding of the process.  I also make a strong connection with my clients, know and understand them fairly well.  It’s important for me to realize that my ability stops there.  I do not know what is best for anyone else, which path is the best for them.  The best path for another person is between them and God.  My role is to use my training and experience to help them find their best path, without allowing my own ego to impose in any way.

Faith

The topic for today’s recovery meeting was faith and many people expressed the caution or fear that the outcome of God’s or life’s plan for them might not be either pleasant or what they had in mind.  As a result, they were resistant. When I spoke, I made it clear that I did not understand what God was and also could not see the bigger picture.  Given that, I assumed the outcome would not be what I had in mind and, as I said, that is “wonderful!”.  I do assume that the outcome will be the best for me, though I will not be surprised to not think so, when that happens.

Listening To Guidance

I am in the process of making some final changes to my book, having already made the initial arrangements for its publication.  This whole writing process has been a very intense exercise in listening to the guidance of my Higher Power/love/God, my initial inspiration for the book project.  What I do is to listen for ideas, try writing down my interpretation and adjusting until it feels right.  At present, and recently, my task is to make my recommendations stronger while staying true to the source.

Divine Intervention

I am approaching another recovery anniversary (thirty years, illegal drug and alcohol free) and as is usually the case, I am reflecting back on my journey.  When I look back I notice a great deal of divine intervention, in fact I clearly would not be alive or doing nearly as well as I am without it.  I ask for that intervention daily and have come to depend on it.  The question that occurs to me is whether the same level of intervention would be or is available to anyone who is willing to surrender their self-will completely, as is recommended in my program of recovery.  I suspect so, but I do not know.  I just know that has worked for me.

Split Wood & Carry Water

A “meat & potatoes” or “split wood & carry water” kind of a day.  Meaning that I, largely, took a break from my typical spiritual focus and spent a good part of the day taking care of simple, household tasks, like cooking and laundry.  I seem to need such breaks periodically. The day was a welcome, less intense break.  I still started my day with an extended period of prayer and meditation, which seems to be a given.

Loving Response

On the one hand, providing a loving response, acting in a loving way, sounds simple, and theoretically it is.  However, when faced with the reality of the human condition, acting in a loving way is often difficult, requiring meditation to determine the right course of action.  For example, I have a friend who is in very bad shape emotionally and physically due to his alcoholism.  My initial response is to rush to his aide in any way I can, actions that do not feel quite right.  When I meditate, the most loving response seems to be to not take any action until he begins to take some action on his own, and only then to provide support.  Meaning, that the loving response right now is to let him experience what he needs to, in spite of that being difficult to watch.  Personally, I have found the loving response to be complicated at times.