A Higher Plane of Living

Yes,  Faith is a Gift.

But Faith comes from hearing.  I think about Holy Hours (a Catholic term for going to Church when it is very quiet...no services going on...and sitting before the presence of God and bearing your soul to Him and listening in the quietness of your soul for the words that He so much wants to speak to us) ...and sometimes I don't like the idea of going, but when ever I go, I don't really want to leave.

There is a higher plane of living, but it is a Gift...and so often we choose the lower plane of living, which is still mostly a good place to be, but awfully lacking.   But that higher plane, that place of encountering God, hearing His Voice, seeing His face spiritually, there is something so beyond the normal, that how we ever choose the other, is beyond me...and yet I do that over and over. 

 

"To say that 'prayer changes things' is not as close to the truth as saying, Prayer changes me and then I change things.'  God has established things so that prayer, on the basis of redemption, changes the way a person looks at things.  Prayer is not a matter of changing things externally, but one of working miracles in a person's inner nature." (Oswald Chambers).    

 

Sharon

# 5 in short series A Break from Life .... or Addiction.

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs139/1104105122674/archive/1114244810184.html

#5 in the series, A Break From Life... or Addiction?

'Simply and Beautifully Woman'   Newsletter  #  5 in Series      A Break from Life.... Or Addiction        July 22, 2013     Greetings!    . Freedom from alcoholism, overeating, drugs, pornography... is a beautiful thing. It is another chance at life.    It is an opportunity to experience God's love for who we are, and not who we are needing " to cover up".  It is an opportunity to walk with dignity and discover the joy of life, right within our circumstances. It is an opportunity to make a path for our life, and not allow our addiction to make a path for us. It is the opportunity to give back to others what we have stolen from them while we were in our addiction. It is an opportunity to make ourselves and our world a better place.   Freedom is a journey from shame to self knowledge and acceptance.    It is a beautiful abandonment to The Someone who is greater than ourselves and who is so absolutely in love with us.    It is a journey that sees our fears subside, as truth replaces the lies we believe about ourselves, and as courage keeps us walking the walk of a Free man/woman.   Our mother's story concludes below,  and as we all can imagine, her journey will continue throughout her life, as it does ours.  Let's remember our new friend and lift a prayerful thought for her now and then. While Freedom from addiction is a journey, and a very unique path for each person, i t is a journey often walked with others for support.   Thank you Mom! ... for having the courage to share your story with all of us! Sharon

"A second round of rehab followed.  Fear and resentment still won out, and so here I was on round three.  But this time it was different.  I felt different.  I was willing.  After being so beat up, emotionally, physically, physiologically and spiritually, I was ready to let go of the fear - to live without resentment.  I was finally ready to try letting God take charge of my life.  I stared up at the ceiling and through tears and sobs I begged God ,for the first time, to   'please' help me'.    By this time, the nurse came back in.  "Time for group", she said encouragingly.  The sun broke through the clouds and a ray of light shined warm upon my face.  I got out of bed and prepared for the day,happy for the first time to   "go to group"!   That day was the first day of my real recovery effort from my disease of addiction. It began my journey, the process of recognizing that many of the horrible things I did were the result of being a SICK person... not a BAD person.     I've had my share of struggles and setbacks, and I wasn't successful right away, but now it has been more than 2 years since I've been drunk.  In these two years I have attempted to move from victim to victor, from self-hater to self-forgiver.  My new found ability to forgive myself has mad me better instead of bitter, and able to forgive others.    The model that Christ gives me of forgiving me when I am at my very worst, and forgiving me to the point of giving His life for me, gives me reassurance.   I find a bit of healing in my soul every time I forgive.   I now have faith that God is always with me, actively guiding me and directing me to live and to do the right thing.     Life for me now?  I attend recovery meetings regularly. I try to have daily contact with God through prayer and meditation. I like sharing about the recovery gift I received.  It keeps me grounded and it humbles me to think that my experience, strength and hope can help others - that God can work through me.    Christ said, "I have come to give life, life more abundant", and I feel that abundance every day.  I am no longer anchored down by fear and resentment.  I have finally been set free by allowing myself to be truly forgiven.   "This is my story.  I hope that it has blessed you in some small way. If you have any questions that you want to ask me, just respond to this note and Sharon will make sure that I get them."