Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Post 15

Powerlessness? ... Searching and Fearless? ... Entirely Ready?




OH, THOSE QUESTIONS!! (A Mini-Series on the Twelve Steps to Recovery)



This is Holy Week ... the week during which persons of the Christian faith recall and meditate upon Jesus' last few days prior to His crucifixion. This coming Sunday, Christians will celebrate Jesus' Resurrection from the dead with the Easter message. However, this week holds the believers' attention with the marking of each day's time before Jesus' earthly death. Every 24 hour period carried its own weight as the events continued to build to the ultimate closure of His mission to be accomplished on earth.
One day at a time: I would think that those words, certainly, may have been in Jesus' thoughts during that time. Two thousand plus years later, we hear that expression, steadily, from persons in recovery. Indeed, there is real wisdom to the focus of today. Yesterday's lessons (not regrets) are important and tomorrow's plans (not worries) are necessary; but we actually do live only one day at a time!

Twelve Step Recovery programs, likewise, provide a steady focus on living each day in a progression of/toward recovery. Every Step build upon the previous one, with an eye to the upcoming new Step. And each Step carries a weight of questions to be grasped, grappled with, mulled over, and answered by the person who truly strives toward wellness.

I have included several questions to be pondered with certain selected Steps during Part 1 of this Mini-Series on the Twelve Steps to Recovery.



Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over gambling - that our lives had become
unmanageable.Think of an example of your own powerlessness. Be specific.
Give an example of an event that has happened to illustrate that your life
is/was unmanageable. Again, be specific.

Step 2: [We] came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to a
normal way of thinking and living.
Where are you in relation to your acceptance of a Higher Power?
Give an example of an event that demonstrated irrational behavior.

Step 3: [We] made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of this Power
of our own understanding.
What are the main areas of your life that need to be turned over to God?
Explain.



Take one question at a time; focus deliberately; search and find ...


RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE and WORTH THE WORK!!



Next month, we'll examine our moral and financial inventories ...


one step at a time!


For more information on problem gambling and recovery issues, go to http://www.grmumc.org/

Rev. Janet Jacobs
Director, Gambling Recovery Ministries