April 8, 2026 “A Symbol of Victory in Recovery!”

Is there a symbol in your life that stands for victory?

An athlete may raise one finger in the air. A student receives a diploma. A business owner celebrates a profit. An orchestra plays before a full theater. Each of these moments points to something deeper—effort, growth, and success.

What is a symbol that represents Recovery in your life?

If Recovery can give meaning to our hope and our suffering, then it can give meaning to anything. Only Recovery can turn our pain and our mistakes into something good. That is the beauty of Recovery.

There may be parts of our lives we are not happy with. Some are mistakes we made. Some were not our fault. Some things are simply out of our control. Yet Recovery invites us to trust in God, or a higher power, who can bring meaning to all of it—even our failures.

The challenge of Recovery is not just to believe something is changing within us. The real challenge is to stop living as if nothing has changed.

The symbol I turn to is the crucifix, with Jesus hanging on it. Even though Jesus was crucified over 2,000 years ago, it still speaks to my life today.

When I fall short—when I hold onto anger, become irritated with my wife, bend the truth, or grow tired of working my program—these moments affect my Recovery.

But I still have a choice in how I respond.

The crucifix reminds me to have compassion for myself. It offers mercy. It tells me I am loved no matter what. It calls me to believe that hope is real. It asks me to let go of my old self and trust that Recovery can bring meaning to every part of my life.

Recovery is not a one-time event. It is something we return to again and again. Each time we choose it, we make a deposit into our hearts. These small choices help us grow and take action.

And that is something worth celebrating.

Do you want to respond again and again?

How will you show that commitment in the way you live each day?