Learning to Listen and Take Advice ...

[vja4Him]

I was at a men's recovery meeting Saturday morning, with a local recovery home. The meeting was awesome! The leader of the group meeting that morning shared something that really caught my attention. It was one of those moments that everything seems to make sense ....

I thought back to nearly two years ago, when my boys and I started attending Celebrate Recovery ... There was a man at the church barbeque who invited me to Celebrate Recovery. I thought to myself that I don't need recovery. I've already quits drugs and alcohol. I decided to check it out anyway, and I'm so glad that I did! At first, I didn't really think that I would fit in. After all, I wasn't like all those people, who were a bunch of drunks, drug addicts ....

Well, I found a small men's group, and have been attending Celebrate Recovery at our home church, Big Valley Grace, Tuesday night, and also at a sister church on Fridays, Shelter Cove.

After so many years of abusing my mind and body with drugs and alcohol, I had been wearing a mask, and in total denial, hiding in my own world, falling deeper into depression, confusion, hurt, pain .....

I'm thankful that God has begun the healing process for myself and two boys. Now, we are on the road to recovery (one of my favorite songs we sing on Fridays during worship at Celebrate Recovery). I am learning how to do life, enjoy life, and help others.

My point is simply this: if I had not listened to that man at church, and continued on in my thinking that I've got everything figured out, and don't need help, my boys and I would not have gotten involved with our recovery. We would still be floundering, stumbling, suffering even more, and perhaps I would have lost custody of my boys, ended up homeless, back out there, destroying my life again .....

God is good, and I need His grace more than ever ....