NACR Daily Meditation

[NACR Daily Meditation]

************************************************************

NACR Daily Meditation for Sunday 06th of January 2013  

************************************************************

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect,
but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of
me. 
Philippians 3:12


Some days the desire to be 'finished' with recovery is almost overwhelming. It is such an attractive thought. To be 'done'. It sounds so good. Done. Finally. Please, Lord, I want to be done today.

But, we have learned something about our capacity for self-deceit. We have learned that we are not entirely in control of the process of recovery. And, we have learned something about the dangers of complacency. It can lead us back into denial, and toward relapse. There is no more dangerous moment for us than the moment we become convinced that we are all better.

Recovery is 'pressing on'. We have not 'already obtained.' We have not 'already been made perfect.' Tomorrow's recovery cannot be done in advance. And yesterday's recovery, although it has changed and enriched us, is not the same thing as today's recovery. Today's recovery can only be done today.

The process of recovery restructures our lives in some very fundamental ways. We had learned silence, and in recovery we learn to speak the truth. We had learned not to feel, and in recovery we learn to feel. We had learned either not to need other people at all or to be excessively dependent on other people, and in recovery we learn to need other people in appropriate ways. These are significant changes. But, they are not irreversible changes. We can go back to silence, emotional numbness and unhealthy relationships. Recovery is necessarily therefore a new way of life. It is a daily pressing on. It is the day-at-a-time practice of the disciplines of recovery that makes it possible for us to continue to heal, grow and change.


Lord, you have brought me so far.
Thank you. I am grateful for all I have gained.
But, I want to press on.
I want to continue to grow.
I want to continue to learn.
Help me to press on.
Help me to do today's recovery today.
Help me to press on toward you.
Take hold of me with your love.
Amen.


Copyright  Dale and Juanita Ryan 

Dale Ryan is an Associate Professor of Recovery Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary. Juanita Ryan is a therapist in private practice. You can read Juanita's blog at www.juanitaryan.com


************************************************************
Help us to continue developing resources of this kind by supporting the National Association for Christian Recovery. You can make a tax-deductible contribution online at

http://www.nacronline.com/nacr-store/donations

************************************************************
ROOTED IN GOD'S LOVE (the book from which these meditations are taken, is back in print! Order online 

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rooted-In-Gods-Love-Meditations/dp/1440437378/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352915297">here</a>

************************************************************
Meditations from previous days can be viewed at:  

http://two.pairlist.net/pipermail/nacrmed/

************************************************************
To stop receiving these meditations send an email to nacrmed-request at nacronline.com with the word unsubscribe as the subject.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://two.pairlist.net/pipermail/nacrmed/attachments/20130106/55ad544d/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: logo_for_email.jpg
Type: application/octet-stream
Size: 11275 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : <http://two.pairlist.net/pipermail/nacrmed/attachments/20130106/55ad544d/attachment.obj>