Wisdom For Today - February

[bluidkiti]

February 11

Wisdom for Today
One of my biggest struggles in recovery has been to learn patience. My will always wants what it wants, and it wants it right now. Addiction taught me immediate gratification. In recovery I had to learn about delayed gratification. My life did not just turn around because I stopped drinking and using drugs. It has taken time to learn a new way of living. Frequently during this process of change, I have struggled with impatience. Much of this was in part due to unrealistic expectations. It has not been easy to learn to be patient.
I recall going to a meeting one night, and I spent a good deal of time complaining about my day. I was looking for people to agree with me and feel sorry for me because everything that could have gone bad that day did. Several people commented after I had spoken, and then it was passed to an old-timer in the group. I did not receive any pity, nor did he even agree with me and how I felt. He simply looked at me and said that it sounded to him like God had given me many opportunities to practice patience throughout my day. This really angered me, but it also stuck like glue because it was true. If I had been patient throughout the day, my attitude would have been very different when I came to the meeting that night. Soon I began looking at many of life's challenges as opportunities to practice patience. Do I see that the challenges I face must be faced with patience?
Meditations for the Heart
Life is full of challenges. Even in recovery many of these challenges can turn out tragically. When this happens, it is easy to think that somehow I have failed. There is no failure in tragedy; the real failure comes in all the little things I could have done differently before the tragedy occurred. It may not have prevented the tragedy; but if all those little things had been done differently, my ability to cope with the tragedy would be very different. It is often in these little things that I fail. Sometimes it is my impatience. Other times it is my failure to turn it over to my Higher Power. Sometimes it is when I fail to ask for help. There are many reasons. However, when I set my mind to do the next right thing and follow after God's will, I find that tragedy does not seem like a failure to me. I can look back and know that I did everything I could have done. My mind and my heart are better prepared to deal with the tragedy when it does occur. Am I paying attention to the little things?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
In addiction I always looked for life in the fast lane. Teach me to slow down and be patient. Help me to stay focused on the little things along the way. Let me practice doing the next right thing. Change how I look at life, and let me see life through Your eyes. Give me direction for this day, and guide my steps.
Amen.