CRA Christians in Recovery (anonymous)

Why is this in the Suggestions forum?

You can't start a new forum. You can only either create a thread, or a group.

Well it was only a suggestion but they ran it. Let's see if it continues.

"OMG!....Poof...And...this too was known from the beginning....
Maybe a recovery style 'cafeteria'...and, come as you are....all are welcome.....always open selections
on menu....lol..........little humor!...
'Praise God'..............United we stand....Divided we fall." View attachment 196571

When people haven't learned how to properly deal with our emotions and after years of practicing self medication to feel better in time backsliding or relapsing to intoxicating substances in times of stress becomes a tried and true temporary reprieve. Asking for help is difficult for us self willed people. Our pride ego and lack of humility resents seeking help in constructive ways.

There's always been a bottle pill or joint closer than someone with experience, strength and hope. Surrendering to God is especially difficult to those of us who don't know how. So we habitually return to the pig troth like a dog to it's vomit and wonder "Why me?"

We've got to be sick to get up and vomit in the morning and get drunk or loaded again the same night or week. Are we lost in denial not to realize we are poisoning ourselves, or have we just stop caring? If someone did to me or mine what I have done to myself or my loved ones I might cut their heart out. My own mind won't let me see it in myself. That's what the steps are for. To see a full panorama of the wreckage in our lives, what we have to work with and how to give it to Jesus.

We must stop trying to take the lead but rather follow the Lord. He knows the way home, not us. If someone can neither see the Sun, stars, nor the horizon, how do they become unlost? Jesus knows the way because Jesus is the way.

When people haven't learned how to properly deal with our emotions and after years of practicing self medication to feel better in time backsliding or relapsing to intoxicating substances in times of stress becomes a tried and true temporary reprieve. Asking for help is difficult for us self willed people. Our pride ego and lack of humility resents seeking help in constructive ways.

There's always been a bottle pill or joint closer than someone with experience, strength and hope. Surrendering to God is especially difficult to those of us who don't know how. So we habitually return to the pig troth like a dog to it's vomit and wonder "Why me?"

We've got to be sick to get up and vomit in the morning and get drunk or loaded again the same night or week. Are we lost in denial not to realize we are poisoning ourselves, or have we just stop caring? If someone did to me or mine what I have done to myself or my loved ones I might cut their heart out. My own mind won't let me see it in myself. That's what the steps are for. To see a full panorama of the wreckage in our lives, what we have to work with and how to give it to Jesus.

We must stop trying to take the lead but rather follow the Lord. He knows the way home, not us. If someone can neither see the Sun, stars, nor the horizon, how do they become unlost? Jesus knows the way because Jesus is the way.

Dunno how to start this Cali-Bob.
It wasn't until I had gotten so "sick in heart, and soul" sad, that one day? I simply said "THAT'S IT!" "I'm DONE with crack cocaine. DONE! I walked away from it. No praying, no asking anything from anyone! Not God. Not Jesus. Not anyone! Just "made up my mind", and done it!
I have to also admit, that this happened some 3 er 4 years after I (for a lack of a better way to esplains it?), Answered His "call!" As to who was doing the calling? God? Jesus? I really don't know for certain. Coulda been Jesus, as His sheep "know His voice." So, it probably was. Although, even at this time? I'm still not certain who was "calling." Just know it was an holy calling.
So, it was cold turkey for NayborBear! You wanna talk about one PO'ed son of perdition? He certainly was! STILL is! (anyways...I digress) This happened some 35+ years ago.

Anyway, some 3 er 4 weeks after walking away? I was at the house, just watching the tube, when all of a sudden, but, it really wasn't all at once? This "feeling of Love" just started coming into me. Dunno if it was my heart, soul, spirit, flesh, mind? YES! Is the only answer I can give to that. Felt pretty "cool" at the onset. (but I am digressing again) All I will say, at this point, is that when it stopped? It didn't feel "cool!" Actually really really scary! Really really tried by my own will in trying to stop it? NO DICE! At that juncture? I had NO doubt, in my military mind as to who it was. And no denying as to what it was either! IT WAS HOLY!
NO DENYING THAT!
Then, this voice sez to me: "You have done acts attributable towards righteousness!" Which sounded rather odd to my ears, in these days of the New Covenant. And, that Abram was the only person I had ever heard of whom God said those words to. (yes, I grew up in the church, and baptized at the age of 13. Didn't leave the church, until 17 er 18. so, I knew about Abram)
It continued speaking telling me: "You've been doing it your way?" "Now, I'm going to show you MY way!"
"EVERYTHING you learned in church?" "Is WRONG!"

I be getting into my testimony, and forgetting that which I was to tell you!

Don't go asking no higher power, or God, or anyone else!
Just make up yer mind, and KICK IT!
So what if it kills ya?!
Least you'll know ya died trying!
And KNOW? There's a whole LOTTA SOMBODY'S up there "keepin' score!"
You can BET THE FARM on it!

You are 1 in at least 100. Wouldn't it have been easier to humble your self and ask for God's help? You humbled yourself when you got saved and he certainly knew who and what you were then.

Honestly before he came to me dying seemed preferable to living the way things were. Part of what kept me from committing suicide was I didn't want to leave my family in the lurch I couldn't imagine death being any worse than life and considered throwing myself in front of L.A. metro rail in Long Beach. An odd set of circumstances led me to getting the kind of help I needed, when I was ready to surrender or die.

I was powerless. The Lord used others to lead me back to him, humble myself and join the winning team.

You are 1 in at least 100. Wouldn't it have been easier to humble your self and ask for God's help? You humbled yourself when you got saved and he certainly knew who and what you were then.

Honestly before he came to me dying seemed preferable to living the way things were. Part of what kept me from committing suicide was I didn't want to leave my family in the lurch I couldn't imagine death being any worse than life and considered throwing myself in front of L.A. metro rail in Long Beach. An odd set of circumstances led me to getting the kind of help I needed, when I was ready to surrender or die.

I was powerless. The Lord used others to lead me back to him, humble myself and join the winning team.

The idea that we have to fix ourselves before comming to God, is like fixing a toilet before calling the plumber. No that's not how it works.

As Christians we know the Higher Powers name is Jesus Christ. We believe in building upon the Rock here. The rest goes like this;

Just for today,

1. We admitted we were powerless over our dual illness of chemical dependency and emotional or psychiatric illness - that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Higher Power of our understanding could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of our Higher Power, to help us to rebuild our lives in a positive and caring way.
4. Made a searching and fearless personal inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to our Higher Power, to ourselves, and to another human being, the exact nature of our liabilities and our assets.
6. Were entirely ready to have our Higher Power remove all our liabilities.
7. Humbly asked our Higher Power to remove these liabilities and to help us to strengthen our assets for recovery.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when wrong promptly admitted it, while continuing to recognize our progress in dual recovery.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with our Higher Power, praying only for knowledge of our Higher Power's will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to others who experience dual disorders and to practice these principles in all our affairs.