Hope Floats

Storms coming...
Clouds rolling in...
Looks like rain....
Watching the skies, trying to read the weather...

Noah didn't have to watch the skies.
Noah didn't have to read the weather.
Noah knew what was out there headed his way.
God had indeed told him what was to happen.
How do you think Noah took this bit of information concerning the coming storm?
"Doesn't look like rain."
"That God....He is such an alarmist."
"An ark....you're kidding....do you know how much work that will take?"
"Rain? What's that? That has never happened before."

We not made privy to the thoughts and emotions that Noah must have thought and felt. In some ways, I'm glad that God with held such information. Truth be known, I don't have to wonder about it. I just have to place myself in that situation. I'm a firm believer that human nature hasn't changed....even since the days of Noah. I'm sure if we could have gotten inside Noah's head, we'd found doubt....fear....anger....dread....disbelief, and a myriad of other human characteristics.

Bottom line, no matter what Noah thought, the storm was coming.
No matter whether or not Noah believed God, the rain was on the way. IT was going to happen. Since this was the case, Noah could either cooperate with God and survive this global destruction, or he could go his own way and hope that he could tread water...
Tread water for a very long time....
Noah chose to follow God.

It's the same with addiction.
God has provided a way out.
This I know, if you reject God's solution to your addiction problem......well, the storm is on the way.
You can't come up with every excuse known to mankind, but that isn't going to stop the destruction that is certain to fall upon you if you stay outside the "ARK" of God's solution. God is faithful in what He says and what He does, to those who trust and obey Him.

To me, the 12 Steps are part of the blueprint that God has given to us to escape the coming destruction. Simply follow the plan...
Admit that you are powerless to change things.
The evidence there for everyone to see (including yourself) is that your life has become unmanageable.
In other words, it doesn't matter how hard you want to work this out for yourself (Addicts battle cry! "I don't need anyones help") it just isn't going to happen.
With that truth staring us right in the face, and the wind beginning to pick up from the coming storm, we look to a Power greater than ourselves who could save us and restore us to a life of being able to make sound decisions. That Power, being Jesus Christ.

Now that we have been made aware of our state of existence (Powerless) and that there is a Power (Jesus) greater than ourselves who wants to aid us in living a new way, we turn everything over to His care. Everything? yep, everything.
Will....my desire to run the show..my wants and needs and desires ...turn them over to Jesus. In other words, I see the approaching storm of what my life is going to look like if a change doesn't take place. Along with my will, I give him my life...in exchange, I get His life. I'm not the sharpest trader in the world, but I think we come out on the good end of this deal.
Now that I have addressed these problems, I am now ready to construct an ark in which I will find safety and rest from the destruction that is headed my way.

Very simple.
Rarely have we seen anyone fail who has thoroughly followed our path. In other words, if you work the steps, you are following the instruction on how to build your own ark in which you will find safety from the coming storm.
Today's a good day to start building.
What do you say?

God on you....
mb