SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com

SUCH A PLACE EXISTS... By (me!) Sandra, tvgp

And so, I was watchin' James Taylor being interviewed by my Charlie rose... You can see it on his website... Great interview! And when talked about addiction and recovery.. How you need to stay mindful... Mindful seems a perfect word. -because if you are overly preoccupied with avoiding addiction; temptations. Overly preoccupied with whether or not you'll slip, or worried or anxious about making it... Then you've only traded one addiction for another; one form of bondage for another. -in essence, you have still not healed. But if you stay -mindful- aware but not anxious, aware of your vulnerability, aware of the consequences in a respect for weaknesses kind of way... Then you can live and thrive in a healthy way, with confidence and joy and peace without being fully delivered from your addiction. It requires daily effort, consciousness, but it is not exhausting, taxing.. not a constant battle, but a consistent understanding. Can it be described succinctly? Driving seems like a fair analogy... I drive with peace and confidence, but simultaneously, look in my side view and rear view mirrors, I'm alert, avoid potholes, avoid dangerous drivers, intentionally choose some paths over others based on prior driving experiences, Adhere, for the most part, to the rules of the road; but remain flexible, responding always to my immediate and ever changing environment -traffic, weather conditions, detours, pedestrians, bicyclists, construction...relaxed but mindful. This state of being.. Applies to any form of addiction.. Drugs, alcohol, pornography, worry, fear, guilt, food, shopping, appearance.. Long list. There is this place... It is not the same place, as if you had no former addiction at all; it is not that free. Not as free as full delivery from God... But it is a place where you are no longer a slave to the addiction NOR a slave to worrying about backsliding on your recovery. You are at peace with your vulnerability, and therefore very strong. The important thing to know here is this: such a place exists. Follow Jesus... I write this today because I've recently spoke with someone who has not quite arrived at this destination.. Keep going. And that conversation caused me to revisit and thank God for fully delivering me from several different addictions, while 1 or 2 remain... I don't know that I will ever be fully delivered from a couple of my phobias..but, it no longer seems as necessary to pray for full delivery.. Many people before me have said what I'm about to say, so it's not original, it validates: sometimes God, even though he could easily remove an issue, will not. Your job then is to trust this is in your best interest because God is love.. But I promise you God does not want you addicted.. He wants you mindful. Aware of and respectful of freedoms which you might not appreciate without having first been a slave. -his thoughts are higher than our thoughts... His ways are higher than our ways! ... As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: IT WILL NOT RETURN TO ME EMPTY, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah, 55:10-11. And totally different subject.. And tone, but...I find myself sometimes very jealous of numbers people...when my jealousy gets the best of me, i feel compelled to point out "the WORD was made flesh! People... Not the number! And in the passage above... WORD goes out from Gods mouth! People... Not numbers. -just sayin'.

posted by SHE @ 9:46 AM