“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Colossians 3:16

There is an old saying in recovery: “Attitude of Gratitude.” For many of us in CR, we have moved from an attitude of ingratitude to gratitude. I know I was very ungrateful before recovery. It’s easy to be when you’re living in your own person hell, when selfishness and selfcentered-ness rules the day. We come to CR with hurts, habits, and hang-ups; some feeling used up and abused, some feeling the guilt and shame for our actions. Some come feeling hopeless and far from God, some come wondering why a life given to God has turned out so wrong. The miracle of recovery is found through a personal relationship with Jesus. It’s a process that leads us to a heartfelt attitude of gratitude, we know who pulled us out of that pit of despair and set us right with God. I had an old sponsor that talked a lot about having an Attitude of Gratitude. He would say that if you’re grateful for something or someone, you have a responsibility to it. If you are grateful to God, live a life devoted to him. If you are grateful to your Church, get out of the pews and get involved. If you are grateful to CR, give back, you don’t have to wait until you’ve finished a 12 step group. If you are grateful for your family, just love them and spend time with them. An Attitude of Gratitude is the practice of gratitude in your life. And when we have those days where the gratitude is running low, getting caught up in the pressures of life, just remember where you came from, and realize you don’t live there anymore. Sit down and talk it out with God, use the tools given to you in CR, write out that gratitude list, and talk to someone. The best fix when feeling low is to find someone who is hurting (you won‘t have to look far); listen to them, encourage them, and love them. Do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are. Be Doers of the Word. Dana Cramer // Celebrate Recovery at Crossroads