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although i do get the point that they are trying to make in the reading this morning, treating the gift of recovery like an automobile would be a serious mistake, at least for me.
yes i do believe that recovery takes regular maintenance, i do not believe that my recovery is like some mechanical object no matter how complicated.
i am not overly fond of automobile analogies to start with and this morning i am less tolerant of them for some reason. i treat my recovery more like an priceless orchid that i grow in a greenhouse. it requires daily care and nurturing. it is also a gift that i do not know how to grow, i have to ask for help. my recovery can be a thriving living gift if i choose to follow the suggested growing instructions. and like a rare flower, it is not something i can ignore for very long, otherwise it will wither and die. and just as a plant needs to be propagated, so i must share my gift, by taking a cuttings from the flower i have been growing and pass them on as gifts to others. my precious gift requires daily watering and trimmings to remove the diseased pieces and every now and again a repotting and serious care to find and remove any hidden problems.
and just like the hot-house plant, my recovery cannot survive in the environment of active addiction. it needs the special nurturing care of a loving POWER and constant diligence. and just like that orchid my recovery is a thing of beauty that blooms occasionally with such magnificence and color that no one can hardly miss it.
yes, my recovery is a growing and living gift, that can only thrive if i apply due diligence to protecting it from the storms of my addict self, there really is no mystery here, everything I need to know about the care and feeding of my gift has been written in our literature and when i am confused about those instructions, those who have been doing this longer can clarify those instructions with the kind and loving suggestions.
In my opinion a living growing gift is much more precious than some utilitarian vehicle. my living gift sustains me, and much more than get me from point a to point b.
∞ DT ∞