hello, do you relate?

[Life Change]

LAMENTATIONS 3:19-33 – I remember my afflictions and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. 20 I will remember this and my soul is downcast within me. 21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the Lords great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 I say to myself, “the Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.” 25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; 26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. 27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. 28 Let him sit alone in silence, for the Lord has laid it on him. 29 Let him bury his face in the dust- there may yet be hope. 30 Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace. 31 For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. 32 Though He brings grief He will show compassion, so is His unfailing love. 33 For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.

Hi all. I was doing some work on step 10 and came across these verses. Man I tell you they just really speak to me and I felt lead to share. I was spared my life, by God, from the world I was living in by being sent to prison. I now have His hope but had to ‘sit alone in silence’. I am still locked up (out on work release with internet acc.) but I feel I have hope and a real chance to use my past for the better. I have God in my life now and the grief has left and I feel His compassion. I guess it was always there I was just not in a state to feel or see it, but my life is a living testimony to the fact I received it. Thanks for letting me share and for all I’ve read and learned from all here. SEAN

[chero]

Sean, I went to a revival meeting last night and the minister read part of this passage. It's a great one, isn't it!!

Glad you are doing so well!!

[cmc]

Sean,
Thank you for sharing that scripture and little bit about your life and what the Lord is doing in you. I am so blessed to know how you have found God's word to apply so perfectly to your life. My son is in a very similar situation as you are. He was brought up to know the Lord, but in this past two years has become much more commited to Him. He has shared with me how his last relapse, plus being in jail, bootcamp and halfway house, were exactly what he needed to find a much closer commitment and reliance on God, not to mention 14 months of clean time. He is on a good path now, just as you are.
These verses and what you shared are helpful to the addicts but also...extremely important for those who love an addict. In my program I learned to 'let go and let God' but it wasn't easy to grasp the idea that going to jail and 'hitting bottom' was ever going to be a good thing for 'my' son.
I thank you, especially as a mom, for sharing your recovery process with us here.
God Bless,
cmc

[Life Change]

CMC, i will keep you and your son in my prayers as well as all here. I am a recovering addict and also have been through the loving of an addict. i still have some people that are close to me in heart that i just cant afford to be around when i get out. i was also lead to great comfort in the verses i quoted when it comes to loved ones. it weird when you can see from both sides of the street.

Chero it sure is neat in how God puts things in our life togher....like its just by chance? NOT

[stone]

Hi Sean, i guess that applies to the whole of the AA message? The spiritual awakening to bring us out of suffering.

I am new to AA and also new to not being so cynical! I am not sure what I believe but I dont have the arrogance to disbelieve either (anymore).

You 'sound' peaceful, no wise person could not see that and smile for you.

[namommy]

Sean,

I don't believe in saying I was arrested. I was rescued. Being rescued by the Warrant Unit, and going to jail saved my life. the stipulations that were put in my for my parole, helped me to stay clean and become a productive member of society.

The cool thing for me. I have been clean longer than my records are available for public access. I didn't think that day would ever come. Keep doing the right thing for the right reasons, and one day at a time you will get there too.

God Bless

Laurie

[Life Change]

NAmommy i too feel that being locked up really set me free. i know i still have some road to travel in front of me with the legal stuff, but i look forward to it. befor i couldn't see anything in front of me but doom, and now i can see. i really like to here of other people that have made it ' release & probation' and not returned to prison because you here & see alot of people going back agine & agine.

[namommy]

I went to jail 3 times, I wasn't pushing for 4.

[rayofsunshine]

Sean, good to hear an update from you. (Your mom had shared with us from you on the Loved ones in prison thread in the F&F board. My husband is currently in prison.) It's really wonderful how far you have come. Praise the Lord! You have a great testimony and the Lord will use you for great things.

[Life Change]

Romans 6:19- I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you use to offer your body in slavery to impurity & to ever increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.

I believe that in order for me to recover I need to put forth the same amount of effort and time towards the good things in life and God that I use to put forth towards doing drugs and the other parts of my old lifestyle. For me that is what it takes. I cant just want it or just say it I have to constantly do it.