Saturday, October 04, 2014
No Silver Bullet, but Silver Lining
So signing in to write about our Celebrate Recovery meetings, I see the previous post about a magic potion. There isn't one. When people come to CR, many have several times looked other recovery options, including chemical treatment, changing locations, or even Christian conversion.
There was a man last night who came whose name means Courage. He is homeless and missing teeth and blind in one eye. But he was sober and said that some social medical people were planning to give him some time in a local hospital for some other health needs. So he will have a chance to dry out. At CR, he can talk about the choices and some of the pain that may have caused him to make his life choices. Unraveling the maze of a lifetime of turns and twists will take time. But who has more time than God, or a homeless man? These are God-sized problems, that I believe only God can heal.
There is another regular attender of our CR whose name means Peace. He is 42 and never married. He has been a long time believer in Jesus which has kind of made him the black sheep of the family, perhaps also because he is unemployed. But he is finding healing and place to talk out his problems. Celebrate Recovery has a slogan that "you're only as sick as your secrets". CR is a safe place to talk about hurts, hang-ups and habits, where people can get hints into the places where they need healing, and find freedom from whatever has caused poor life choices.
Last night we had to refuse one man into the small group circle who had come after drinking. That makes it a little hard for anyone else to get a word in edgewise, if someone is speaking from the 'spirits' of the liquid variety. But there is hope, since he seems to be coming around a little more sober each time. I believe he will come dry next week. His name means Lucky.
CR seems like AA and other recovery groups to be where people come when they run out of all other options. It is not a magic potion, but it is a place where God willing, love, grace, and truth can help people find the courage to face the phantoms of their past with faith and press into a brighter future of freedom from hurts, hang-ups, and habits.
There was a man last night who came whose name means Courage. He is homeless and missing teeth and blind in one eye. But he was sober and said that some social medical people were planning to give him some time in a local hospital for some other health needs. So he will have a chance to dry out. At CR, he can talk about the choices and some of the pain that may have caused him to make his life choices. Unraveling the maze of a lifetime of turns and twists will take time. But who has more time than God, or a homeless man? These are God-sized problems, that I believe only God can heal.
There is another regular attender of our CR whose name means Peace. He is 42 and never married. He has been a long time believer in Jesus which has kind of made him the black sheep of the family, perhaps also because he is unemployed. But he is finding healing and place to talk out his problems. Celebrate Recovery has a slogan that "you're only as sick as your secrets". CR is a safe place to talk about hurts, hang-ups and habits, where people can get hints into the places where they need healing, and find freedom from whatever has caused poor life choices.
Last night we had to refuse one man into the small group circle who had come after drinking. That makes it a little hard for anyone else to get a word in edgewise, if someone is speaking from the 'spirits' of the liquid variety. But there is hope, since he seems to be coming around a little more sober each time. I believe he will come dry next week. His name means Lucky.
CR seems like AA and other recovery groups to be where people come when they run out of all other options. It is not a magic potion, but it is a place where God willing, love, grace, and truth can help people find the courage to face the phantoms of their past with faith and press into a brighter future of freedom from hurts, hang-ups, and habits.
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