Blog entry for:
Tue, Jun 7, 2011 10:04:51 AM
¹ just for today, i will have faith THAT someone believes in me ¹
posted: Tue, Jun 7, 2011 10:04:51 AM
and wants to help me in my recovery. alright a bit of the grammar police, having FAITH in someone or having FAITH THAT someone are two entirely different creatures, and the ambiguity of this particular passage has always seemed discordant to me. as written, it suggests that i have to have FAITH in some unnamed human being. having FAITH in my fellow travelers in this incarnation is to say the least, a bit difficult given the state of the world around me today. having FAITH that someone, anyone, is quite easy, as there is all sorts of evidence supporting that conclusion.
Be Right Back, gotta run, literally that is…
well i am back, after a fast and quick run, and am a bit more clear about what i heard this morning. i do understand why the addicts who wrote the line used ‘in’ rather than ‘that’, and as i am not one to dismiss the conscience of the group who agonized over every single word, i will let it go and read it as it is written. in my recovery and experience, finding that one person to have FAITH in, had been a difficult and daunting task, and one that i did not believe was possible. learning to grow my FAITH period was a difficult task, so to tie such a fragile concept to the imperfections of one human being was way beyond what i was willing to do. so i had to and still have to make an accommodation here. i know what the line says, and what i started this blog off, is how it works for me. it is easy for me to have FAITH that someone believes in me, and i know that today i can have FAITH that several someones believe in me. that accommodation sustains me. when i work with others, especially those for whom the revolving door is constantly turning i let them know that to the best of my ability (there is that loophole again) i DO believe that they can get this and recover.
there are some, who actually have clean time, that i have little belief in that they will get recovery. one of those i had to unfriend ion FaceBook yesterday morning. i did it in a fit of petulant pique, i am sure, but the bloody morning after, i feel like it was a sound decision for me. they are unwilling or incapable of change, and i am unable or incapable of tolerating who they are. this will always be a source of agony and frustration for me, and although i was hopeful that this was a relationship that i could grow back into, i have no FAITH that is even possible anymore. life is too short to fill it with obstinate, vexatious and unpleasant people, and in my opinion that is what i would be doing if i continued to hold out waiting for the change to happen, in either me or them.
so i do have FAITH that someone believes in me, and i do have FAITH IN someone who believes in me this morning, and on that not i will jump in the shower and hit the dusty trail as i have many miles to go and tasks to accomplish today.
Be Right Back, gotta run, literally that is…
well i am back, after a fast and quick run, and am a bit more clear about what i heard this morning. i do understand why the addicts who wrote the line used ‘in’ rather than ‘that’, and as i am not one to dismiss the conscience of the group who agonized over every single word, i will let it go and read it as it is written. in my recovery and experience, finding that one person to have FAITH in, had been a difficult and daunting task, and one that i did not believe was possible. learning to grow my FAITH period was a difficult task, so to tie such a fragile concept to the imperfections of one human being was way beyond what i was willing to do. so i had to and still have to make an accommodation here. i know what the line says, and what i started this blog off, is how it works for me. it is easy for me to have FAITH that someone believes in me, and i know that today i can have FAITH that several someones believe in me. that accommodation sustains me. when i work with others, especially those for whom the revolving door is constantly turning i let them know that to the best of my ability (there is that loophole again) i DO believe that they can get this and recover.
there are some, who actually have clean time, that i have little belief in that they will get recovery. one of those i had to unfriend ion FaceBook yesterday morning. i did it in a fit of petulant pique, i am sure, but the bloody morning after, i feel like it was a sound decision for me. they are unwilling or incapable of change, and i am unable or incapable of tolerating who they are. this will always be a source of agony and frustration for me, and although i was hopeful that this was a relationship that i could grow back into, i have no FAITH that is even possible anymore. life is too short to fill it with obstinate, vexatious and unpleasant people, and in my opinion that is what i would be doing if i continued to hold out waiting for the change to happen, in either me or them.
so i do have FAITH that someone believes in me, and i do have FAITH IN someone who believes in me this morning, and on that not i will jump in the shower and hit the dusty trail as i have many miles to go and tasks to accomplish today.
∞ DT ∞
The views expressed on this page are solely the opinion of the author.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.
Another Look!
∞ finding someone to believe in me ∞ 256 words ➥ Tuesday, June 7, 2005 by: donnot∞ i need someone who believes in me, ∞ 411 words ➥ Wednesday, June 7, 2006 by: donnot
↔ staying clean is easier when i have someone who believes in me even when ↔ 331 words ➥ Thursday, June 7, 2007 by: donnot
α i did not arrive in this fellowship and automatically stay clean. ω 510 words ➥ Saturday, June 7, 2008 by: donnot
∞ it was hard for me to believe in myself, when i was struggling to get clean ∞ 489 words ➥ Sunday, June 7, 2009 by: donnot
∧ i kept coming back, and i found in the fellowship the support i need for my recovery ∧ 757 words ➥ Monday, June 7, 2010 by: donnot
< even the most frequent relapser usually has one > 636 words ➥ Thursday, June 7, 2012 by: donnot
≈ sometimes it is hard for me to believe in myself ≈ 578 words ➥ Friday, June 7, 2013 by: donnot
♥ when i love another addict unconditionally, :♥ 908 words ➥ Saturday, June 7, 2014 by: donnot
∅ not all who arrive ∅ 588 words ➥ Sunday, June 7, 2015 by: donnot
⊶ someone, anyone, ⊷ 480 words ➥ Tuesday, June 7, 2016 by: donnot
✆ and wants to ☎ 747 words ➥ Wednesday, June 7, 2017 by: donnot
🔰 getting clean 📈 581 words ➥ Thursday, June 7, 2018 by: donnot
🍀 offering my support 🍀 182 words ➥ Friday, June 7, 2019 by: donnot
🌼 having faith 🌼 408 words ➥ Sunday, June 7, 2020 by: donnot
🌅 believing in myself 🌅 265 words ➥ Monday, June 7, 2021 by: donnot
😕 i can feel 😞 337 words ➥ Tuesday, June 7, 2022 by: donnot
😵 maintaining 😵 632 words ➥ Wednesday, June 7, 2023 by: donnot
😎 banging my head 😎 538 words ➥ Friday, June 7, 2024 by: donnot
☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge
Book 1
4) Under these two aspects, it is really the same; but as development takes place, it receives the different names. Together we call them
the Mystery. Where the Mystery is the deepest is the gate of all that is subtle and wonderful.