Cold outside?
Duh!
I don't handle cold like I use to. Something happened to my metabolism when I turned 50. It was like someone flipped a switch inside and my body thermostat went haywire. The cold hurts me now...wind seems to go right through me. I am now the proud owner of several "Big Heavy" jackets, gloves, 'boggans, and thermal under shirts.
I guess it is all about the change we face.
Change in society....
Change in culture....
Change in our bodies, as Mr. Age creeps up on us.
Life is about change. We are either changing for the better....
Or we change for the worse.
The only constant in this world is Jesus.
Such is the evidence that follows everyone who chooses to travel down the addiction highway, the reality of change. As you come down the ramp of addiction highway, you merge into traffic. Wide and smooth is this highway. Fast is the pace. Feelings of exhilaration fill your mind and body as you move with the traffic. Thoughts of "Why haven't I done this sooner?" flood through your brain. You feel free for the first time in your life. You, through the choice you've made to use, have cast aside the restraints you have felt that were holding you back. You are free. So you make stops along the way to replenish with more of your drug of choice. Back out on the road. You have the radio blaring and have found a song that can be your song. AC/DC "Highway To Hell".....yeah buddy. That's your song. You belt it out as you press hard on the accelerator. To be honest, you never have stopped to think about where this highway leads to. Doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is the feeling. Repeated stops for more, back out on the road. You're so focused that you don't realize how the scenery has changed. Things don't look as good as they use to. The sky has grown dark, and the road seems a little more unsure. Pot holes....detours....cause the flow of traffic to slow down....or rather, causes them to think about slowing down. But no one does. Despite the obstacles in the road, the pace seems to be getting faster.
Now, you're having to concentrate while you drive. You began to look around for other places you can stop and get what you need. In fact, you seem to be stopping more frequently. What happened to the "Great" gas mileage you were getting when you first started this journey on addiction highway? Now it seems as though you are having to stop with alarming frequency to fill up. You even have had the thought that you wanted off this highway, but the need to stop and fill up over road every other thought. You continue on.
Now you begin to experience storms that seem to come out of nowhere. You keep running into family and friends along the way, trying to stop you and pull you over to talk. But you press on. No time for such right now....you've got to get to the next "filling station". In fact, you began to get concerned over this journey. You've even told yourself that this road is going to end with no good, and that you need to get off of it....change directions...find a new road....but you don't seem to be able to.
Moving the dial across the face of the radio, you hit station after station. "Won't you fly.....Free......Bird..." There's nothing free about this journey. Canned Heat sings that "Speed Kills" in reference to Amphetamine Annie, but they're not singing about you, are they? Clapton belts out the dangers of "Cocaine". The Eagles blast your senses with "Life In The Fast Lane". There in the jumble of songs that fall from the speakers, you run across a voice...."Jesus..just Jesus." You don't want to listen to this huckster. Everything inside your head screams that you need more fuel. But your heart says..."it's time to change." Three little words break through the haze and the pain. Jesus....Just Jesus. You know that you know, in spite of your reluctance and doubt, that He is the answer to getting off this highway. Just Jesus.
You see....
You don't have a drug or alcohol problem.
You've got a living problem.
You have chosen to live your life, make your own choices, and then follow through on them, totally outside the will of God.
Such a lifestyle is brought about by this nature that we are all born with.
Some call it a "sin nature".
Some refer to it as "The fleshly nature".
I've even heard of it referred to as "The old man inside of us".
No matter what the name you choose to identify it by, we all are born with it.
A desire to live our life, and make our choices based on our own wants, needs and desires.
We may not say it, but the bottom line is....
We are born with an independence from God.
When you don't know who you are, and you are following the dictates of your heart...
Sometimes you end up on addiction highway.
The longer you travel on it...the farther you go...
You forget who you really are, and you fall prey to the cravings that your usage brings to your mind and body.
As the 12 Steps tell us... We are in need of a POWER greater than ourselves who can restore us to sanity. This restoration process is what some refer to as "Being saved" or "Born again". No matter what name you may give it, the bottom line is when we surrender will and life over to God's care, we are taken off of addiction highway and placed on a path that we must follow. Oh, it won't seem as glamorous as the addiction highway did when we first entered it. In fact, your mind may tell you that you've messed up because of the choice made to change directions. But don't listen to it. Continue to put one foot in front of the other and celebrate the new change that is coming to you.
As you travel on, you will experience changes that will encourage you to not stop in this new journey.
I pray that your heart celebrates daily on one simple thought.
Jesus....
Just Jesus....
That's all I need.
God on you...
mb
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