“Continue to love each other with true brotherly love. Don’t forget to be kind to strangers; for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it.” Hebrews 13:1

One of the best cures I know for loneliness is to care for the lonely; many of us have been in that position and understand isolation as few do. I was taught in recovery that when I start to feel sorry for myself (the “poor me” syndrome), I should go find someone to help. There are a whole lot of people in our communities that need help; there are a lot of people in Celebrate Recovery and in our churches that need help. And, there are a lot of people who have immense difficulty asking for help and receiving help. Sometimes you have to go and find them, reach out to them, or be there when they do come knocking on the door. Friday night at Celebrate Recovery is geared towards the newcomer; everything we do has the newcomer in mind. We pray before the start of each service for many things, but always for the newcomer. For those of us who have been in recovery for a while, we remember how difficult our first meeting was. In the years I have been in Celebrate Recovery, I have come to believe the most important message I can live out is the one that Jesus shared with us in the Gospel of Matthew, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind… Love your neighbor as yourself.” I tried to live my life in the past without God, without others; of course I failed miserably. Then I tried to live life with God, but wasn’t interested in sharing with others, after all, I can take care of myself—I just need a little help from God once in a while. Of course I failed miserably. Then, in recovery I was able to start living my life for God and slowly but surely share my life with others; success beyond my wildest dreams. Recovery doesn’t happen without God and without people. Life happens, but not the kind of life I want. If you are reading this message and feel a nudge to come to Celebrate Recovery, I hope and pray that you do. It is a safe place filled with people who are on a remarkable journey of discovery and healing. You have an open invitation to join us and experience for yourself what God can do in your life. God loves you; Jesus died for you; His spirit lives in you! Say Yes to Jesus and live Love! Dana Cramer // Celebrate Recovery at Crossroads