Step 1: We admitted that we were powerless over our dependencies-that our life had become unmanageable.

January 13, 2007

 (click image to enlarge)

     If you’ve ever been on this particular Merry-Go-Round, you know the dizzying, disorienting effects. The faster you run through the cycle, the sicker you feel. Can you relate? Whether you admit it to yourself or not, the truth is, all of us can relate to the need for a deliverer from our circle of shame.

     There are three reasons why we reject the opportunity to jump off the “ride”. Dale Ryan, co-author of a wonderful devotional book called Rooted in God’s Love Meditations on Biblical Texts for People in Recovery says this:

“There are three common but unhelpful ways of dealing with our failures and sins.

• First, there is denial. We tell ourselves that everybody has problems, so it doesn't really matter. Nothing of any value comes from this effort to cover-up.
  
• A second unhelpful strategy is to blame others for what has happened. This can range from different versions of 'the-devil-made-me-do-it' to 'I'm just a product of my environment'. Nothing of any value comes from this effort to cover-up.
  
• Thirdly, instead of turning the emotional energy outwards in blame we can turn it against ourselves as self-loathing. We see ourselves as monsters and what we have done as unforgivable. Nothing of value comes from this effort to atone for our own sins.

     God invites us to another path. God invites us to be transformed. God invites us to stop denying, blaming and catastrophisizing about our lives. In order to change and grow we need to face the reality of our actions and attitudes. We need to understand that our sins are like scarlet, like crimson. They are life-draining. Destructive. But we are forgivable. We are invited to receive forgiveness. And we are invited to change. The life-draining behaviors that we have pursued can be changed. Changed from bright red to snow white. We do not have to let denial, blame and shame lock us into destructive, hurtful patterns. We can be clean and sober. White as snow. Forgiven.”

[P.S. You can sign up to receive emails from this book by visiting Nacronline. Also, I added the bullets and the color – the rest is a quote from January 11th's email meditation and found in the book, Rooted in God’s Love]

Scripture reading for today: Matthew 1 - 3

Thought for today:
I pray that today you will have the opportunity to meditate on Dr. Ryan’s three “unhelpfuls”–

Denying
Blaming
Catastrophisizing – asking the Holy Spirit to renew your mind, and help you see yourself just a bit differently…a bit more truthfully, a lot more gently…

Thought for tomorrow:
Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet , they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. Isaiah 1:18

Teresa McBean
January 13, 2007

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