Let’s
examine the two letters comprising one little word: am.
A-
Admit
First, the “a” of that word. What if it
represented “admit?” The first step
of any 12 Step program hinges on us admitting we have a problem.
1.
We admitted we
were powerless over a substance or behavior ─ our lives had become unmanageable.
We won’t get
any further in healing without it.
“He who covers his
sins will not prosper: but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have
mercy.”
Proverbs 28:13
And, hand in
hand with that challenging truth is another truth; we don’t know what we’re
doing.
“For what I am doing,
I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice: but what I
hate, that I do.”
Romans 7:15
This is all the more reason we need, perhaps,
to turn to our next letter in the word, “am.”
We need to see the “mission” in the
letter “M.”
M-Mission:
We need to
embrace a mission, something that is larger than the struggle and pain we are
in when it comes to the present moment.
“Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but
blessed is the one who heeds wisdom's instruction.”
Proverbs 29:18
The New
Living Translation’s interpretation of that same scripture is as follows…
“When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.
But whoever obeys the law is joyful.”
Oh yeah,
that’s an understatement.
I believe it
was the late Johnny Cash who said, “We all need someone to love, something to
do and something to look forward to.” That’s where mission can come in.
When we
recognize there is meaning to us, significance, we can possibly endure the
present moment and do what’s necessary to improve our lives and heal. It’s not
about perfection, just ongoing, meaningful progress which extends beyond us as
individuals.
If we can
admit there is a problem and commit to our healing of it, we are in the present
state of “am.”
Copyright
© 2018 by Sheryle Cruse
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