In long-term recovery we often lean back into moments from our early recovery that help and sustain us. In my book, OUT OF THE WOOD: A Woman’s Guide to Long-Term Recovery, I write about some of these experiences. Here is one of mine:
When I was very new to the rooms of recovery I heard a woman share in a meeting in a way that made me truly want recovery. The woman was telling the group that the day before her daughter had been hurt –hit by a car in front of their home. The woman said that she got into the ambulance with her daughter and she began to pray that her daughter would be okay and she was asking God to fix this situation.
And then, she said that she stopped and she changed her prayer. Instead she began to pray, “God help me to get out of your way.”
I was stunned by her words. Just stunned that anyone could have that prayer come to mind in such a scary situation. I knew in that moment that it was recovery working in that woman’s life. And I knew then that I wanted what she and those Twelve-Step people had. I understood that what this woman did came from being in this program.
That was more than 30 years ago and that moment of realization and revelation has stayed with me. I still want that. It’s why I continue my recovery.
God help me to get out of your way.
This blog was written by Diane Cameron, author of OUT OF THE WOODS
