Matthew 6:1
....."Our Father....."
These are the very first two words spoken in what we refer to as the Lord's Prayer.
If you look at the first word of Step # 1 of the Twelve Steps....it reads...We.
The idea behind each of these words, is that we are being brought into a community...more like a family of people who identify with God and with the idea of recovery.
More than identify, we surrender and begin the journey toward a new way to live.
We have brothers and sisters all along this journey who we will meet and draw strength from, just as they will draw strength from us. Such are the ways of God, that He designed us to find strength when we gather with like minded individuals. Like minded and like hearted put us on the same path moving from our past, and old way of living, to a future with promise and hope.
There aren't any Lone Rangers in this journey, yet some still live by that old way. Oh, they go to meetings, but they hang near the back and won't interact with anyone. They graze on what others are saying, without adding anything from their own struggle, only to be out the door when the meeting is over. All the while feeling like they have truly accomplished something by their attendance. While attending a meeting, whether church or A.A., is important, it profits you nothing if you aren't engaged and a part of the meeting. The spiritual call to give is more than putting two bucks in the plate....as Romans 12 describes it.."We become living sacrifices". In other words, I should want to give my entire being....spirit, body, soul, mind, heart and all the left overs, to the meeting and become a vital part of what's going on. I do so out of a heart that is learning to love and trust again. I do so because I am building a support that will get me through some dark times that are surely lying ahead in my journey. I do so because it has proven to be the way God wants us to live....in community.
This is one of the reasons that we have Vineyard Recovery Church. So that others can connect and come to realize there are family out there. We have no strings attached to anything we do on Saturday nights. We don't even have required church membership that you have to jump through to be a part. We figure if you show up more than twice, then there must be something in the meeting that is drawing you to attend. That would be the Spirit of God. Cool how that works, isn't it?
So, boys and girls, the moral of today's story is ....
Don't do this on your own....
Don't just go and take up a seat at meeting or at church...
Begin to participate....
Begin to be a part....
Begin to find life....real life.
Take a chance....take a risk and reach out to this wonderful new family God is giving to you....
God on you...
mb
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