April 7, 2026 “Looking for Life in the Right Places!”

Do you remember the song with the line, “Looking for love in all the wrong places”? And the question from Scripture, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (from the Gospel of Luke)

Sometimes, we do this in Recovery. We look for healing in the same places that once hurt us. We try to feel alive while staying in old fears, sadness, and thinking. We search for change in the past instead of the present.

Why do we do this? Maybe we are afraid. Maybe we are unsure that life can be better. Maybe we are not ready to let go of what feels familiar.

This is a gentle question to hold in our hearts.

We may need to go within and look at our old patterns, habits, and thoughts. At times, our life in Recovery can look the same as before. It feels safe because it is known. But Recovery asks us to change. It calls us to new habits, new thinking, and a new way of living. Slowly, the old ways begin to fall away.

We may be looking for peace and stability, yet still feel empty inside. Recovery softly asks us, “Why are you looking for life where it no longer lives?” This is not to bring shame or guilt. It is to bring awareness. And awareness helps us understand what needs to change. It helps us take small, loving steps forward.

In my own Recovery, there were times when I could not escape shameful thoughts. I noticed the way I spoke to myself, but I did not know how to change it. Then I met with a psychologist who helped me see that I was carrying trauma. I felt afraid and uncomfortable when I heard this.

My pain came from childhood. I realized I was still seeing the world through those early wounds. With help, I found a therapist who guided me in letting go of that burden. This was not easy, but it gave me new life.

Today, I am learning new habits. I am choosing new thoughts. I am living more in the present moment. I am stepping into new places with hope. I am learning to look for life in the right places.

Where are you still looking for life in places that no longer give it?

Recovery helps us see the truth: we are not stuck.
Life is not behind us.
Life is ahead of us.