False Advertising

Things don't always work as advertised or expected. I see this every day. Just this morning I found a painful example of this truth. I like to do my morninng meditation outside. It helps me connect. This morning however, being outside only distracted me. The dive bombing mosquitoes which have always been bad here were the worst I have seen so far. In a matter of seconds they covered me with bites and when I would look up from my reading I saw black swarms worse than flies around food on a summer afternoon. I lit a tiki torch and tried to continue with my quiet time and cigarette. The bites didn't seem to slow at all. I felt a mosquito on my foot and looked down to swat it. That is when I saw three mosquitoes perched on the edge of the tiki torch. So much for repellant.

I am so grateful that God is not like that tiki torch, even though I lived like He was for years. The spiritual program of recovery He has given me has done everything advertised and promised....and then some. It has not just set me free from the bondage of alcohol and drugs, but it has set me free totally to live, to love, to be of service to others. Because of the free and unearned relationship I have found with my Creator, I don't merely breathe and exist today. I can live. And remembering that I can trust the promises that come with relationship with God can and will continue. I will try to hold on to this truth and the trust that comes with it when I walk back into work this afternoon and have to deal with the aftermath of last night. I will try to walk in love since I know that anger only clouds my judgement and cuts me off from the sunlight of the spirit. I will try to stay peaceful and calm knowing that I don't have to defend and protect myself because God can and will do a better job of that than I ever have or could. And I will pray that God gives me the wisdom, strength and grace to actually succeed at what I just said I know I need to do.