He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. Isaiah 42:3
Having the gift of a sponsor or accountability partner is something I find truly special. It's having a mentor who can truly say they have walked the walk and can now talk the talk. Nothing worse than having someone who has NO clue about the challenges that come with being sober trying to give you advice. And there is such merit to choosing a sponsor who has dealt with the same addiction as you to be able to see things in your life that others just can't. Yes, friends are great and well intended..but a person who can say they understand that same hurt or habit or hang-up has amazing insight into your life that is kinda "ready-made". Conversations will ebb and flow naturally because you don't have to "explain" yourself.When I attended Celebrate Recovery meetings, I remember going to the CoDependency group and let's say in the beginning I wasn't even close to be ready to share. But by listening to the stories of others I learned some important lessons.
First, I was not the only person to travel this road. Oh my word that was a huge relief. But second, I could identify why I did the things I did. And even though I didn't like my actions - I still did them. And it was because I couldn't forgive key people in my life. I was so bent on keeping that to me that I became resentful and just wanted to control EVERYONE so I wouldn't get hurt anymore. I learned through the stories of others that I was refusing to allow forgiveness to be a part of my life - and in turn was hurting others.
I have so many reasons that I feel we must support each other in our addiction journey. You might be an addict for over 30 years or just two months. Who cares. There is no need to feel that someone's addiction is worse than anyone else's - it's all sin in the eyes of Jesus. What we need to do is build each other up - and learn from those who have lived the journey ahead of us. Let's not let our lives be driven by resentment.
