Callouses

TRUTH

Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

James‬ ‭1‬:‭18

REFLECTION

There is a dreariness to newcomers in recovery that if not treated will linger and fester and rot away the hope that is necessary for survival.

Some are affected more than others, but almost invariably there are periods of despair that threaten sobriety shortly after we get a bit of it.

We think in absolutes. We turn inward. We get regretful. We begin to believe we are hopeless.

Nothing unique, but it is a perilous train of thought when we are so close to either giving ourselves to this new way of life or going back to our old one.

But recovery is a gift. It takes effort to hold and to grow, but it is freely given.

If we can take a sliver of that truth and turn our regret into forward motion, we can begin to outgrow the self-centered chains that would toss us back into the drunk world if given enough attention.

It may be a stretch for some this early on, but we must begin the process of changing our entire thought life. We must replace our previous tendencies with new ones.

This happens in moments at a time. Every day is an opportunity for our perspective to either atrophy into the grim relapses that wait patiently for us or to blossom into the fullness of the love of this new life in front of us.

And we have work to do. Even early into our sober life. The meaning and purpose we once despaired of finding come quickly to focus when we begin to look for ways to be helpful to those around us.

We become uniquely valuable to the person right behind us as well. They look at the progress we have made and get glimmers of hope.

The impossible begins to happen: we help others recover by sharing our own struggles and doubts.

God, use my rough edges.

SPONSOR

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NEXT

When you’re ready, here are some tools for you:

1. Book List (amazon link)
   Some of my favorite reads related to recovery and/or wrestling with faith.

2. 4th Step Guide (free download)
   A PDF with instructions and worksheets for a thorough 4th step. Straight from the Big Book. Fearlessness not included.

3. 12-Step Christianity (YouTube)
   My thoughts on the parallels between discipleship and sponsorship.

KEEP LEANING FORWARD

Cheers, Eamonn
Contact on LinkedIn, YouTube & Twitter.