God With Skin On

The road of recovery is a spiritual one. Steps 2, 3, and 11, speak of a Power greater than ourselves. A God as we understand him. Step 12 talks about “Having had a spiritual awakening…” The Big Book refers to a “…a necessary spiritual experience…”

But many folks recoil from the thought of God. Their experience with God has been a negative one. Or they do not believe in a god at all. Or have searched for God, but haven’t seemed to be able to find anything. We need a spiritual Connection, but we don’t know how to connect.

Some of us, especially in the beginning, have turned to the group as our Higher Power. There is something in a group that is bigger than us. We find a power in the success and experience of others that encourages us on our own journey. I am very blessed by my group. For me, they are “God with skin on”.

Gardenias and Jades

I love to watch plants grow. There is something amazing and wondrous about the appearance of new life. Among others, I have a gardenia and a jade plant. They are very different in their patterns of growth. The gardenia bursts forth in flowers almost as quickly as time lapsed photography. In the span of less than one day, I have watched buds open into blossoms, right before my eyes. The jade, on the other hand, is painfully slow. I can watch, even for weeks, as tiny pairs of leaves poke out from the middle of existing branches. I have to be so very patient as I wait for the jade to change.

Change in my life is like that too. There are times when major change can occur in a very short period of time. But often, that is not the case. Many, if not most changes, take time to evolve. Daily or monthly or even yearly changes may be difficult for me to detect.

I have to be patient. As surely as plants, with care, grow and change, my life changes as well. When I intentionally care for my spirit, my mind, and my body, my life does change. Sometimes the change is rapid. Sometimes it happens rather slowly. It will always take place.