For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.
When I first started attending 12 Step meetings they had a tradition of giving out key tags to celebrate recovery time at every meeting. If you were brand new, your tag was white. Then, if you managed to keep from using drugs or alcohol for 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, 6 months, or 1 year you got another one, each in a different bright color.
At the beginning I was having a hard time even imagining how one might go without using for even as long as 30 days. A year was beyond my comprehension. I got nervous thinking I had to keep from using for years and years. Then someone told me I only needed to do it for one day. And if one day was too hard, then I only had to keep from using for one hour, or one minute. And then another. And then another. They told me that my Higher Power would help me by giving me the courage I needed and the power and the self discipline, because he loved me. All I had to do was ask.
It’s true, you know. I can do pretty much anything for one minute or an hour or a day. If I am wise enough to remember to ask God for help, then I can do whatever it is for as long as I need to.
This one day at a time thing is on my mind because after five months of sheltering in place I am beginning to get a little bit of cabin fever. I am trying to figure out where I can go and what I can do that won’t include exposure to other humans. So grocery shopping is out. I know I am ok in the car by myself, so maybe the drive through at McDonalds would be safe. I don’t know.
Self discipline keeps me moving and motivated. Writing these journal posts requires discipline. So does making my bed, and cleaning the kitchen, and getting dressed every day. Doing any of these things is an expression of love - love for others in these writings, self love in the performing of daily tasks, and the knowledge of God’s love underlying all. I am so grateful for God’s gifts of power and love and self discipline that get me through each and every day - one day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at a time.
Gracious God, your love is what keeps me going. Knowing that you are with me in every circumstance makes any difficulty I might face easier to bear. May I always remember that your help is always available to me. All I need to do is ask. Amen.
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