Wisdom For Today - November

[bluidkiti]

November 18

Wisdom for Today

When I first stopped drinking and using drugs, my whole being needed to focus on staying clean and sober. But it wasn’t long before I began to hear some familiar voices from the past. Guilt, shame and remorse quickly came back into the picture. Fear also crept back into my life. These familiar voices used to whisper in my ear and give me reason for using. Now that I had stopped drinking and drugging, these same voices were back, only they were shouting at me. I was so ashamed of all the things I had done when I was wasted. I was afraid to look my family and friends in the eye. I felt guilty because of how I wronged them. My life had so much to regret.

Without the program I know I would have had no chance to stand up to these voices from the past. The program helped me to see that who I was as a person was not the same thing as what I had done. I began to see that God, as I understood Him, could and would forgive me. I began to see that I could forgive myself. I slowly learned that as long as I worked honestly to stay clean and sober, I could change how I felt about myself. More importantly, if I surrendered my will and followed the will of my Higher Power not only did my self-perception change, but the way other people looked at me would also change. Do I recognize that no matter how dark my life was, God can turn a new light on for me?

Meditations for the Heart

As I walk through this day and along the path of recovery, it is important that I realize that God walks with me. There is nothing that I think, do or say that my Higher Power does not know about. When I feel fear, shame, guilt or remorse, I know that I am not alone. I can have no secrets from God. I cannot hide from His presence. It is easy to get wrapped up in trying to please others or to look good to the people I interact with every day. It is easy to try and conform my ways to the ways of the world around me. When I do this, I am not turning my will and my life over to the care of my Higher Power. Instead I am turning it over to the world around me. This is not something I can afford to do. I need to stay focused on His will for me and pray for the power to carry out His will. Do I realize I will only find lasting peace when I follow the will of my Higher Power?

Petitions to my Higher Power

God,
Today let me stay cognizant of Your presence. Help me to accept not only the gift of recovery that You provide, but also the gift of forgiveness. Help me to remember that no secrets can be hidden from You. Let me see that You see in secret but reward openly.
Amen.