Today's blog post is from SOTH'er Joy Shaver.
Joy serves Christ as the leader of SOTH's Prayer ministry team, and as a sponsor for women who are overcoming addition through Alcoholics Anonymous.
She shares with us her celebration of 8 years of freedom from alcohol and drugs. We love you Joy! Thanks be to God!
I’m eight today.
Yes, eight.
I wanted to write something brilliant and witty and clever enough to tie into this week's lectionary scriptures somehow, but couldn’t seem to find quite the right reading.
My next thought was to find something inspiring from one of my go-to daily spiritual mediation readings but I got nothing specific there either. Gosh, now what? Be still, that’s what. Simply be still.
I can’t hear Him when I am chattering in my head. After about 30 minutes (which is about my type-A limit for quiet mediation) I glanced at the books I had opened earlier this morning and noticed the titles for each of the readings.
From Daily Reflections “A Look Backward;” from The Upper Room “A Thankful Heart" and from The Message Remix “You’re Blessed.”
Now, this is something I can work with…
Look backward to eight years ago yesterday? Only long enough to remember the hopelessness of addiction so that I can share my experiences with someone who still feels that despair.
Thankful heart? You’d better believe it! Through God's Grace, I got to start over. I might never have found Him, developed a spiritual life; served others, made friends, found home, church, family. I might never have lived past 41 to become eight.
You’re Blessed. Here’s the reading from Luke 6:
You’re blessed when you’ve lost it all. God’s Kingdom is there for the finding. You’re blessed when you are ravenously hungry. Then you’re ready for the Messianic meal. You’re blessed when the tears flow freely. Joy comes in the morning.
What I really want to say is not brilliant, or witty, or clever – it’s simple and honest instead:
Look backward to eight years ago yesterday? Only long enough to remember the hopelessness of addiction so that I can share my experiences with someone who still feels that despair.
Thankful heart? You’d better believe it! Through God's Grace, I got to start over. I might never have found Him, developed a spiritual life; served others, made friends, found home, church, family. I might never have lived past 41 to become eight.
You’re Blessed. Here’s the reading from Luke 6:
You’re blessed when you’ve lost it all. God’s Kingdom is there for the finding. You’re blessed when you are ravenously hungry. Then you’re ready for the Messianic meal. You’re blessed when the tears flow freely. Joy comes in the morning.
What I really want to say is not brilliant, or witty, or clever – it’s simple and honest instead:
Thank God that we all get to start over with each morning. Thank you, each and every one of you, for being part of my journey to eight.
In Christ,
Joy Shaver
1 comment:
Love it! Love you! Awesome!
Post a Comment