Thanks for calling out the deep work of sobriety. As the brother of an addict, and a friend to many addicts, I've witnessed the unbelievable power of 12-step programs. It takes great courage to work those steps. But when someone does, great clarity is the reward, clarity that can be jarring for most of us who don't have a clue how to be that raw. This led me to think about my general hesitation to proclaim my Jesus-freakdom outside my church circle, for all the reasons you noted. Then I thought, if right now, countless people are finding the courage to walk into AA meetings in church basements so they might proclaim their darkest deeds to total strangers, surely I can muster the courage to come out of the Christian closet. One more connection: it seems to me that to be both a Jesus follower and a sober addict, at their best, is to believe that beautiful things really do rise from dust.
Thanks for calling out the deep work of sobriety. As the brother of an addict, and a friend to many addicts, I've witnessed the unbelievable power of 12-step programs. It takes great courage to work those steps. But when someone does, great clarity is the reward, clarity that can be jarring for most of us who don't have a clue how to be that raw. This led me to think about my general hesitation to proclaim my Jesus-freakdom outside my church circle, for all the reasons you noted. Then I thought, if right now, countless people are finding the courage to walk into AA meetings in church basements so they might proclaim their darkest deeds to total strangers, surely I can muster the courage to come out of the Christian closet. One more connection: it seems to me that to be both a Jesus follower and a sober addict, at their best, is to believe that beautiful things really do rise from dust.
Vulnerable, risky, real and funny as hell! I love Jesus too!