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- Share the Scars...
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
2 Corinthians 9:6
REFLECTION
In the midst of heartache, turmoil, trials, and the regular flurry of curveballs that life tends to send our way, it’s unhelpful to hear about how great things are going to be.
What is helpful is the empathy with which fellow sufferers can relate to one another.
In sharing our burdens with one another, we wrestle with the heartaches, the unfairness, the cruelty of life in a world that is broken. We share how we have come undone. We share how we have fallen short.
Yes, we also point toward the way out, but not at the beginning.
At the start, we need to relate. It does no good to throw out a regimen for recovery if we can offer no evidence of having needed it ourselves.
But we have suffered. We have bled. We have come to the point where our selves failed ourselves.
This was the trap from the beginning. That we thought we would be ok if we just managed well. That our condition for success was dependent on the condition of ourselves.
We have been wrapped up at the center of our own little universes and they’ve necessarily come undone as a result, not in spite of this.
What a breath of fresh air it is when we are greeted by the understanding smiles and open arms of those who have likewise had to sacrifice their selfish and self-centered tendencies to get off the merry-go-round of addiction.
And this is a merry-go-round, make no mistake. It keeps going faster but it’s always the same stuff. The same root. The same end result.
God, help me share my scars and keep leaning forward.
NEXT STEPS
When you’re ready, here are some tools for you:
Book List (amazon link)
Some of my favorite reads related to recovery and/or wrestling with faith.4th Step Guide (free download)
A PDF with instructions and worksheets for a thorough 4th step. Straight from the Big Book. Fearlessness not included.12-Step Christianity (YouTube)
My thoughts on the parallels between discipleship and sponsorship.
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