Lessons Learned...

I`ve had the absolute pleasure of spending some time with some very special people over the last few weeks. These are people who have taught me how to remain hopeful in hopeless situations, and how to set a goal and stick to it, regardless of how hard it is to achieve that goal.

It all started with a sermon series Pastor Barry started at our church. It`s based on a program called ``Celebrating Recovery``. It made me start thinking about the 12 steps used in AA and how really, that applies to everyone...not just addicts. I started going through the 12 steps myself using Barry`s sermons as a guide. I was praying one day in the middle of doing one of the steps and realized that I would really like to encourage people recovering from addictions...any addictions.

It wasn`t long after that I met Rick. Rick is a recovering addict and addiction counselor, for a local recovery house. He also holds down a job as a cattleman for City Packers and is father to a wonderful little girl. Rick introduced me to the recovery house that he`s involved with and it changed my thinking completely.

Addiction has not been far from me my whole life. Through my childhood I watched my Uncle struggle with alcohol addiction. I married two men who both struggle with their own addictions...and I have a few of my own as well. I`m addicted to smoking currently, and I consider myself a recovering addict from sexual addiction... shocked? ...not many people know that about me. It`s true though. I`ve dealt with issues surrounding sex for a long time. I thought I was worth so little that the only way guys would pay attention was if I let them do things I knew were not appropriate. Sick, isn`t it? I got to the point where I got to like the thrill, the conquest as it were. Who was the next guy going to be...how would I catch him...it was almost like a game. It wasn`t right and it wasn't healthy...in fact it was very very dangerous. Now I look back and wonder what I was thinking. I knew it wasn't what God wanted from me, but at that point in my life, I was too far gone to care. When I married John I put that life aside and I haven't looked back. I found my way back to God and realized that as His child, I am forgiven and washed clean by His blood. I don't have to live that life. To God, I am precious, and that's all that matters.

Anyway, I was introduced to a group of people at this local recovery house. These are people with all kinds of addictions, and they`re not afraid to tell you what they`re struggling against. Many have lived on the streets and in shelters at some point...that`s how low things can get. These are guys that are using every ounce of willpower they have, along with intense faith in God, to claw their way out of the situations they`ve put themselves in. Some will succeed, some will fail, but either way, I feel priviledged to have met them. I realized how judgemental I can be about people struggling. Who`s to say that the person I see on the street corner isn`t a recovering addict trying to get back on his feet like the guys I met at the recovery house?

We all have things we struggle with. You may or may not label them ``addiction``. I think the lesson here is not to judge those who are struggling...instead, take that little bit of time out of your day to offer encouragement. They appreciate it and they really look forward to that human contact when everyone else has given up on them. I am blessed to have family and friends who don`t judge me for the things I struggle with. They pray for me, they love me in spite of my faults, they encourage me to stay strong and keep my eyes on my Jesus...how amazing! So many people don`t have that kind of support. If you get the chance to...buy someone a cup of coffee...ask how their day went. You don`t need to do much...it`s those little things that mean the most and can make the difference between an addict staying an addict, or staying sober.