Trusting the Process of Recovery

During those first months in recovery, when my life seemed so chaotic, I was sharing with an S-Anon friend when I used this image to describe how I was feeling. I was blessed with her wise response.

The image: “I feel as if I’m in a little boat, out in the middle of the ocean. I’m adrift with no rudder, no sail, no motor, and no oars. I’m terrified and just want to put my arms over the side and start paddling.”

Her response: “Well, you could do that, but you might paddle away from the current. Perhaps you just need to lie back and wait to catch the current that will send you where you need to go.”

My friend’s response helped me to regain a sense of calm even in the chaos and pain of that time. She reminded me that I am powerless over the reality of the present moment, but that I can have faith in my Higher Power. If I put myself in God’s hands I will probably find that I have more options than the ones I am considering. My friend’s gentle words helped me to surrender and trust the process of recovery.

Reprinted from S-Anon’s Reflections of Hope, page 322.