As most of you who follow me on this blog already know I have been sober since my fateful day way back on December 6th 2002. What you may not know is that I have maintained this sobriety largely on my own resources of my personal support group and not through Alcoholic's Anonymous. As a matter of fact if you take away the meetings I attended while I was completing my outpatient treatment in Billings, I could probably count the number I've made it to on both hands. I have always told everyone that my AA meeting is held every morning when I shave and run cross the Frankenstein looking scar on my neck, and when I go duck hunting and my neck gets sore from peering into the cold winter sky.
My dad has since become sober himself and he has been successful in his sobriety in a very large part due to his regular attendance of meetings. He almost has it down to a science, having to travel a fair amount for work he has meetings all over the country that he goes to when he's in the area. As happy as I am that he is sober, and that the AA system works for him, I still didn't feel like it was necessarily for me.
Part of the reason I think I felt this way was AA affiliates themselves with reconnecting ourselves with our maker and like many things they have adapted to modern culture and most of the meetings I have been to have replaced God with "a higher power". What this meant was some of the meetings I've been to have people who attribute their sobriety not to turning their problems over to God, but to their wife, kids, motorcycle, dog, or any other "higher power". Now I'm not saying this makes these peoples sobriety any less significant, I believe whatever works for you to stay healthy you should stick with it, but sitting in these meetings was hard for me as I firmly believe that I am living proof that our higher power is none other than God.
So for the past 11 years I have mostly stayed away from these meetings, only going to an occasional one here and there with dad. I had a real hard time talking myself into going to one on my own simply because I didn't really feel like I needed them. Well about three weeks ago I had another series of events happen that once again proved to me that I am on a laid out path in this life and am being watched over by God.
Kelli and I rented a movie called Thanks For Sharing which is a show about a group of addicts who all struggle with maintaining their sobriety. This show really opened my eyes to my addiction because one of the characters has been sober for 15 years and a series of events caused him to come dangerously close to drinking. The very next day at church there was an announcement in the bulletin for women suffering from abuse support groups at the church so I decided to check and see if they held an AA meeting. They do have one every Thursday night and the best part is they follow AA's 12 steps, as well as the new testament and their entire meeting is centered around Christ! The whole purpose of the meeting is the same as AA with the added benefit of strengthening your relationship with God!
So I've went the last two weeks now and my time there has done nothing but prove that God has led me to that meeting for so many reasons! I shared some stuff each night that guys have said has helped them and they needed to hear, and I've heard some stories that have helped me as well. I have spent the past 11 years asking God why he chose me to get this second chance and I am starting to think part of the reason is little things like this meeting and using my story and life's experiences to help others find Him!
Remember, all of us are on a set course in life, we just have to stop trying to find the shortcut and enjoy the ride!
Well said Mooley!
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