Today was absolutely incredible. One of my very best friends was baptized. Wow!!! Kathy is now not only my friend, but my sister in Christ. It is just too cool for words. She had the most peaceful expression and after the tears dried up (once we got to the car) we just couldn't stop smiling. We talked for a while about all the past sins being washed away and where to go from here. She has a wonderful support group and lots of people that love her, so she will do great! I just know it.
I don't talk much in my blog about my past, not because I am ashamed, but because of what some of the readers might think. The reason I mention this now is because of how I know Kathy. I am an addict and have attended NA (Narcotics Anonymous) for over 5 years and today I have 5 years, 4 months, and 12 days clean. I have worked with lots of girls that are just like me that struggle every day to stay clean and change their lives for the better. Some make it, and some don't. The ones that go back out and die in their addiction are the ones that break my heart. They don't get another chance. Kathy is one of those success stories, she has grown and put her recovery as a priority and this is just the next step.
So many times when an addict arrives in NA they have pulled so far away from God that it is so difficult for them to turn around and reach out for his saving grace. Lots of them think that the things that they did in their addiction will permanently keep them from returning to God, or they never have been exposed to God or church of any kind. They usual have very deep wounds that they do not think will ever heal.
It took me a very long time to come back to God. I can look back now and see all the times that God reached out to me and I just wasn't ready and I tried to just do it on my own. He first sent me a sponsor that is like a spiritual giant and I just couldn't relate at that point. I love her dearly and now she is one of my biggest spiritual teachers. There were so many other times and people that he tried to use to reach me, and finally he sent Neva. He had to pull out the big guns with me. If you know Neva, you know what I mean. (Love You Neba) I am so grateful that I am where I am now and I am also grateful for my past, so that I can relate to people that have been down the same road that I was on and want to find another way to live. We have a saying in NA "One addict helping another is without parallel". I guess it is the same way with becoming a Christian, it takes one to teach someone how to be one. Thank you to all my Brothers and Sisters and the Christian blog buddies that are teaching me every day.
Well I hope this post does not freak any of you out, but this is just part of who I am. Welcome to a little corner of my world.
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4 comments:
Smiling and praying and smiling some more.
Blessings
Neva
(Know how much I love you and how proud of you I am)
PTL! Stacie, for His eternal love and care for us. I'm so thankful you were sensitive to His tugging at you and very proud of you. Addiction is not simple. You're right on when you say only God could bring you out of it into His Light. You are a living scripture - you are living 2 Corinthians 1:3-11. You have accepted the God of comfort and now can offer that comfort to others, and through it all, you are leaning on Him and Him alone. Praise His Holy Name!!
My hugs and prayers for our new sister in Him, my "tocaya" - which is a wonderful expression from Spanish. tocar is "to touch" and we say we touch each other's soul with the one with whom we share the same name. So I send a special hug from my soul to her, Kathy; my tocaya. :)
Like I said to you this morning, "Now you know how I felt when you became my sister in Christ".You finally understood all out tears and smiles! I am so very proud of you. I know God will continue to bless you more everyday.
Love and Blessings!
Brenda
So awesome, Stacie! Thank you for sharing more of how God has worked in your life. What an inspiration! I'm so very excited for Kathy!
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