AA Recovery and the Challenges That Shape Sobriety
I heard a great phrase at my regular AA meeting: “If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.”
I believe God has a purpose for my life, and that purpose includes challenges. So far, so good. If God brings me to a challenge, He will help me through it.
But what if I create or find a challenge on my own?
I have exercised this ability to find trouble on my own many times.
Learning, Leaning, and Living Through Difficult Seasons
Though a challenge may stem from a flaw in my character, challenges are not flaws in my human experience; they are catalysts.
When I face trials, three things happen:
- I learn: Obstacles pull back the curtain to reveal who we really are, how the world operates, and the stark contrast between good and evil.
- I lean: Hard times force a choice. I can rely on my own limited strength, which usually leads to exhaustion, or I can lean into God’s infinite wisdom and grace.
- I live: Growth does not happen in the quiet valleys of comfort. Real progress happens when I am learning, leaning, and actively stepping through the fire.
When Mistakes Become Part of the Recovery Journey
This perspective changes how I view my mistakes.
I am an expert at creating chaos, often bringing heavy challenges upon myself by not paying attention, making poor choices, or acting out of sheer foolishness. It also changes how I view the challenges God seems to have placed for me to conquer.
Either way, I can see that God does not abandon me.
Whether God intentionally led me into a difficult season to refine my character or I arrived there through my own missteps, the truth remains unchanged.
If God brings me to it, or if I simply find myself there, I believe He can and will bring me through it.
Any current struggle is not the end of your story; it is where the learning begins.
Books to Support Your Twelve Step Journey
If you’re looking to explore Step work, spiritual awakening, and personal transformation more deeply, check out The GEMS Series: 12-Step Shares, Notes and Thoughts. These books offer insights, reflections, and real-life recovery experience that complement the journey through the Twelve Steps.
The books in The GEMS Series: 12-Step Shares, Notes and Thoughts can be purchased through my estore or the major online book retailers. Look for GEMS, More GEMS, Still More GEMS, and More GEMS Revealed.
FAQ
Q: What does “If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it” mean in recovery?
A: In recovery, it can mean trusting that difficult experiences are not the end of the story. They can become places where faith, honesty, and growth begin.
Q: Can mistakes still lead to growth in AA recovery?
A: Yes. Mistakes can reveal patterns, character defects, and choices that need attention. In recovery, that awareness can become a starting point for change.
Q: How can faith help during alcoholism recovery challenges?
A: Faith can help a person stop relying only on their own strength and begin leaning on God, spiritual principles, and the support of recovery.
Q: Are recovery struggles a sign of failure?
A: Struggles are not automatically failure. They may show where more honesty, support, willingness, or spiritual growth is needed.
Q: What can I do when I create my own chaos in sobriety?
A: Pause, get honest, seek support, and look for what the situation can teach you. Recovery often begins again in moments of humility.
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