What Pat On The Back?

So, you say you’ve been making your relationships better because you’re not drinking anymore. Your wife/girlfriend/husband/boyfriend is acting nicely towards you today. Your children aren’t running around with computer eyes wondering when you’ll lose your cool.

The neighbors say “good morning,” the boss says “good morning,” people smile at you as they pass by. The young lady at the coffee shop has a kind greeting for you.

It seems as if you’re not raising your middle finger to other drivers nor they to you. You have extra time when you arrive at work. You have extra time when you arrive home.

Your grades are better.

You feel a part of life again. The birds’ chirping isn’t irritating today. The wind in the air doesn’t matter to your hairdo. It isn’t a chore to open your umbrella to walk through the rain. Flowers smell good again.

You can go to a bar alone and hang out and not pick up a drink. Play darts or pool. Yeah – even when that moment comes, when an old colleague walks in and asks “how about a quick one,” you stand firm and say “no.”

Then, at night, you come to your home group and tell us how wonderful you’re doing with this sobriety thing. Sounds like you want a pat on the back. You’re not getting it!

Think its cold? Consider for a brief moment all the damage you did during those years of destructive drinking. Consider for a moment that that was not the way your Creator made you. Consider that now, you are simply doing what your Creator had intended you to be doing. And give the credit where it belongs. Remember – you had place yourself beyond human aid. It took an Act of Providence to be sober. On your own, you’d no doubt still be drunk.