May 7

”Trouble is only opportunity in work clothes.” Henry Kaiser

Lately I have become grateful for adversity. I have gained enough serenity and sobriety that I have been able to weather several challenging storms in my recovery, a number of which have had little to do with my addiction but were simply life events. I have not done this on my own, by any stretch of the imagination. I has required a great reliance on my Higher Power and my support network, my fellowship, family and friends. The part I am grateful for is that I am coming to more readily accept the need to surrender in situations where I have little control and to reach out for help. I have jokingly shared with others that I have been able to establish an emergency hotline to my Higher Power. Yet this is a good thing as it shows how I have strengthened my faith. While I have still had many pulls to fall back into my old ways in these times of stress, they have only lasted moments. Through the grace of God, I have had the ability to choose to pick up a tool of recovery or to reach out to multiple people in my fellowship. I am learning to trust and express my feelings instead of bottling them inside me. I shared at a meeting that I feel I have no choice but to continue picking up tools of recovery. One member reminded me that the choice is always there. It humbled me, and at the same time strengthened me to see that I can do things differently by trusting in my Higher Power and the program. Life can be sane even it times of chaos.

Affirmation I will seek opportunity in adversity; challenges are times for me practice what I preach in recovery.