Friday, December 20, 2013

Cunning, Baffling, Powerful

A few months ago a client who left and relapsed awakened in an empty lot with paramedics around him. They’d just saved his life after he overdosed on heroin.

Even though he’d only been using for three days, he realized the gravity of what he was doing and returned to TLC. He was grateful to have escaped his close brush with death. He began working once more to rebuild his life, to get back on track.

And for half a year he did just that. He went to meetings, got a sponsor, and began working on his recovery. He also found a steady job. It seemed he was doing the right things.

Then last week he suddenly went out again, this time smoking crack. He didn’t overdose this time, instead returning to the program to start over before he did. So what happened?

In the recovery literature we find the phrase “cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power. That One is God. May you find Him now!"

And in this man’s case he seems to be doing everything right then once again finds himself using – a demonstration of how cunning, baffling and powerful our disease can be.

Hopefully, before this man relapses again, he'll find the One who has all power.