I hope wherever you are, you know Recovery is with you right where you are.
Joseph is facing the hardest situation he has ever known. He wants support from his Recovery friends.
Joseph is fully human. In the early days of his Recovery, some people had a hard time believing he was truly in it. Still, his humanity shines through in every way.
Joseph looks straight at death—not physical death, but spiritual and emotional death. He does not turn away. He stands on a mountaintop and pours out his heart. He is “troubled and distressed,” and he lets us see that.
In the end, Joseph makes it through, but not without struggle. He wants us to know how hard it was. Some suffering cannot be avoided, even when we have strong support from others in Recovery. All of us have been through suffering—some a little, some a lot—and more challenges will come. Joseph lived this truth, and he walks with us through our struggles, even the ones we face today.
Joseph’s story is one I deeply relate to. Recovery has brought me joy and peace. But I now understand that I could not skip over the suffering, anger, and sadness. I tried to avoid these feelings, hoping joy and peace would come anyway. Even with therapy, medication, support groups, and other healing efforts, I felt stuck.
Eventually, the pain became unbearable. I was exhausted by the misery. On February 4, 2015, something changed. I became curious about my suffering and reached out to a therapist who truly saved my life. The next eight months were incredibly hard, but they were worth it. Slowly and with care, I began to feel joy and peace again.
There are still moments of suffering today. The difference is that I no longer fear falling apart. When these moments come, I face them. I lean into Recovery to strengthen my commitment to treat myself with compassion, kindness, and love.
Remember, Recovery is here right now, in this very moment.
Daily Devotional: 12 Steps to Unshakeable Recovery: Winter, L.J.: 9798987012741: Amazon.com: Books
SuperHuman Being
Peace
Larry
email: ljw@superhumanbeing.net
website://superhumanbeing.net/