Recovery is only for those who have a drug or alcohol problem, right? Recovery is only for those people.
Contrary to popular belief, recovery is not only for people who have a drug or alcohol problem. The word recovery comes from late Middle English, denoting a means of restoration or to get back. When asked how I would describe recovery I say it is getting freedom from anything that is separating me from Christ or, in other words, it is the process of getting back to Christ.
My journey of recovery started in the Fall of 2008. At that time, I was in and out of jail and I realized that I wouldn’t be able to stop using drugs on my own, so off to rehab I went. After my stay in rehab my focus was on my recovery, which I thought at that time just meant not using. What I learned over the years is there is a difference between staying clean and recovery. Staying clean is staying away from your drug of choice. Recovery is healing from what lead you to use in the first place.
It took me some time to totally grasp this concept. I have been to counseling and I’ve worked the 12 steps of Narcotics Anonymous, but to my dismay I still relapsed a few times. When I initially heard about Celebrate Recovery, I was trying to do my best with the recovery tools I had, but felt like something was missing. I fell in love with the idea that Celebrate Recovery taught the 12 steps but also, they proclaimed Christ as their higher power. What intrigued me was that they said that recovery was for everyone. That blew my mind! So, I had to check it out.
The real change happened for me when I went through the step study. This step study was different than any I had ever done. I didn’t have to do it on my own. We went through the books as a group, and the leaders asked very pointed questions that we discussed openly. Looking back, I think going through the study with a group is what made all the difference. The women in the group had come from all different backgrounds and faced different struggles, but we all had the same purpose. We wanted to be free. At first, I perceived many of these women to be better than me because they didn’t struggle with drugs and alcohol like I did, but I think that was actually a precious gift from God. When I would share deep things that I felt a lot of shame for, the women that I thought were better than me didn’t even bat an eye. They didn’t treat me differently, and they continued talking to me and treating me with respect. This was a game changer for me! They showed me unconditional love even after I laid all my worst out in front of them. I believe this is where my true healing began. They showed me a level of love and acceptance that I had never experienced before. Today I am mentally healthier than I have ever been, I am closer to God than I have ever been, and I am celebrating 5 years of sobriety! I truly believe I am where I am today because of my involvement in Celebrate Recovery and the amazing support system and community I have found there.
At Celebrate Recovery you can find your way back to Christ while walking alongside others in a supportive, non-judgmental community. Your hurt, habit or hang-up may be anger, disordered eating, depression, addiction to work, drugs & alcohol, etc. Whatever your struggle, you will find a community that shares a common goal; restoring their lives and finding freedom. We know that we will find this freedom as we give up control of our lives and trust that God will take care of us.
Carol Holmstrom, the national communications director of Celebrate Recovery, shares a great analogy that explains this:
“Psalm 139:5 is one of my favorite “comforting” verses. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Other versions use words like encircle, surround, enclose, barricade instead of hem. But, here are some thoughts on the idea of God “hemming us in.”
The dictionary definition of hem is: verb (used with object), hemmed, hem·ming.
- to fold back and sew down the edge of (cloth, a garment, etc.); form an edge or border on or around.
- to enclose or confine
- an edge made by folding back the margin of cloth and sewing it down.
- the edge or border of a garment, drape, etc., especially at the bottom.
- the edge, border, or margin of anything.
I don’t sew a lot, but I have done a little sewing in my time. What I do know about a hem is this: A hem is really there to protect the edge of the cloth. It keeps the raw edges from being exposed to unraveling and ultimately ruining the piece of cloth.
What does that mean for my recovery? What I hear from this verse is that human hands do not hem us in, only God’s hand can do that. So, as I surrender those raw edges to God and let HIM hem them in, He keeps me from unraveling. Those raw edges are my hurts, hang-ups and habits. It’s those things done to me or by me that have caused a hurt. It’s the lies that play in my head. It’s the unhealthy coping mechanisms I have developed to ease my pain.
Letting go of control and letting God hem me in is Principle 3 for me. Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control. The only way I can keep from unraveling is to daily surrender those raw edges to Christ and allow Him to keep those things in His hands; to “hem me in before and behind.”
If you are ready to give God control and start the journey back to Christ, or if you are just curious about what Celebrate Recovery is, join us Monday, June 1st at 8:00pm for our virtual newcomers meeting. We will be doing this meeting on a different day for 7 weeks so that everyone can have a chance to join us. Keep a look out for our other meeting dates on our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/CelebrateRecoveryFF . This meeting will be held via Zoom and it is open to anyone who is interested in Celebrate Recovery, even if you just want more information about how to get involved with this ministry, this meeting is for you! You can email celebraterecovery@fearlessfollower.org or care@fearlessfollower.org for the zoom link. Hope to see you there!
Grace and Peace
Amber
