“Overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loves us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep Gods love away…Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:37-39
What do you do when a disaster lands on your front porch? In healthcare, we train and drill to prepare ourselves if and when it occurs. But what about life? What kind of disaster training do we have when life happens to us?
My disasters were the result of self-will run riot, rooted in low self-esteem and manifested in my obsessive compulsive behavior that eventually led to addiction. I spent the first 33 years of life “playing God” (my best thinking almost killed me), and the last 32 years in recovery learning how not to. Just as hospitals have a process to deal with disaster, we too have a process: we call it Celebrate Recovery. Steps 1-9 show us how to break free from our past; the process is sometimes quick, but most times painfully slow, but break free we can. Steps 10-12 are about staying current, growing in our personal relationship with Christ, and being of service.
Does recovery shield us from life’s problems and heartaches? NO! In fact, sometimes recovery can overwhelm us, we feel like a disaster in the making. But our growing faith in Christ does give us the solution, process, willingness and courage to deal with our problems. I’m encouraged—and I encourage you—to work your recovery program as best you can, never settling for what you think you should be, but striving for whom God wants you to be.
I once defined my recovery as freedom from alcohol and drugs, but the longer I’m around, the more stuff I find to recover from. So today I keep it simple: recovery is my daily walk with Christ! When it comes right down to it, recovery is about being willing to have God remove everything in our lives that stands in the way of our usefulness to him and to others. That should keep us busy enough for a life time. Perseverance is the key, especially when the going gets tough.
“I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.”
Philippians 1:6
Question: Where is your focus today, on the problem or the solution?
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us completely. Thank you for your promise, that nothing can separate your love from us. We pray for perseverance in our journey of recovery; ever reminded that you are God and we are but your humble servants. In Jesus’ precious name we pray—Amen!
Dana Cramer // Celebrate Recovery at Crossroads
Celebrate Recovery at Crossroads Church Calendar
July 9-15, 2018
Friday, July 13: Testimony Night
- 6pm: Our Hospitality Team is preparing a wonderful dinner for you. Please join us for food and fellowship.
- 7pm: Join us for an hour of worship and a powerful testimony from Rebecca.
- 8pm: Open Share Groups.
- 9pm: Solid Rock Café.
