Do You Feel Me?

There is a blindness that accompanies addiction.....
There is a blindness that accompanies those who live in sin, outside the will and relationship with Jesus.
This isn't a physical blindness of the eyes, but rather a blindness of the heart and soul.
Funny part in all of this....
To those who have embraced sobriety and salvation....they have been given the ability to see those who are blinded by their addiction.
You watch them make bad decision after bad decision.
You give them good council, only to see them reject it and pursue their own twisted logic.
It is like watching a train, screaming down the tracks, knowing full well that it is going to wreck.

You can't make people live a life of sobriety.
You can't strong arm them into this relationship with Jesus.
You can only love them, tell them the truth and pray that their hearts will be open and their eyes see the truth.

There are so many cliche's when it comes to the 12 steps.
"It works if you work it."
"One day at a time."
But the one that sticks out to me that I have heard over and over is:
"Rarely have we seen anyone fail who has thoroughly followed our path."
I could point you to several who have found out the truth about these steps and the Power of Jesus to take you into a new life.

I could point you to Mark.
Struggled for years with his addiction.
In and out of rehabs.....knew the steps as well as anyone else, but he just couldn't stay sober.
Mark finally gave up and sought out Jesus to empower him to live this life that had eluded him. I guess the key part of what I just typed, was that Mark gave up. He became sick and tired of being sick and tired. He knew there had to be a better way. So rather than seek out short cuts, or a system of recovery that was built on the way Mark wanted to recover, he simply gave up. He took the steps just as they were. He accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior and thus began a journey that is still going to this day.
Mark has found happiness and a serenity that exceeded his own expectations.

I could tell you about Jimmy.
He hit bottom through his addiction.
Lost his family....
Lost his job.....
Lost his home....
Lost everything.....
He was ready to begin this journey out of the pit, but knew that he needed a Power greater than himself that could restore him to a life of sanity.
Jimmy attended a meeting every night, 7 times a week for over a year.
In the middle of his recovery, he had to return to jail to take care of some old charges. He went willingly, knowing that this was one more step that he had to take to ensure his recovery. After completing his time in jail, he came out and continued on this journey to recovery.
Today....
He has his family back....
He has his home back....
He has his job back....
Not every story ends this way, but the life found in recovery is better than anything addiction has to offer.

You see....
It's like this...
Either this Jesus and recovery is true....
Or it isn't.
Either Jesus has the power and authority to deliver you out of your addiction...
or he doesn't.
Well, I tend to lean toward what is written in Ephesians 3:20
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us....
To Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen!

As my good friend, Peggy, says...."What say ye?"
God on you....
mb