Cleanse the Spirit
Today I am grateful for a reconnecting conversation with my friend Linda. I am also grateful for a little indoor game of "catch" with our energetic grandson Leo yesterday.
And another one worth mentioning is my deep gratitude for sobriety, for recovery from alcoholism. I cannot afford to ever take sobriety for granted, to take recovery lightly. Sobriety is just a beginning. Not drinking tends to be the difficult part early in recovery. Living life on life's terms is the more challenging, ongoing effort.
In a recent conversation with some others in recovery, the phrase "cleanse the spirit" came up. I have been physically sober, alcohol-free, for many years now. If I have a craving for alcohol, it comes and goes quickly. But I still suffer from alcoholism as a spiritual malady. Spiritual maladies need spiritual healing.
That is the recovery journey I remain on. Deepening my faith in and my connection to a Great Spirit, a power greater than myself. It's both an inside and outside job. I have control over only two things really-my attitude and my actions.
I also get guidance and support from outside myself, through faith in a higher being, and through the love and support of others, both those who share in recovery and those who simply share in this life. They may be family and friends who I have known for decades, or a random encounter with a stranger I see once.
My alcoholic thinking can certainly clutter my mind, but it also clutters my spirit. It blocks the light, it creates obstacles to answers, to next steps. Cleansing the spirit is necessary. A good flushing out to clear the pathways again.
There are many ways to cleanse the spirit. My physical, mental, and emotional health are all part of that process as well. An invigorating run. A deep conversation. A good read. Quiet time. Living gratefully. Laughter. These all help. So does prayer. Writing. Acceptance. Tolerance.
And another one worth mentioning is my deep gratitude for sobriety, for recovery from alcoholism. I cannot afford to ever take sobriety for granted, to take recovery lightly. Sobriety is just a beginning. Not drinking tends to be the difficult part early in recovery. Living life on life's terms is the more challenging, ongoing effort.
In a recent conversation with some others in recovery, the phrase "cleanse the spirit" came up. I have been physically sober, alcohol-free, for many years now. If I have a craving for alcohol, it comes and goes quickly. But I still suffer from alcoholism as a spiritual malady. Spiritual maladies need spiritual healing.
That is the recovery journey I remain on. Deepening my faith in and my connection to a Great Spirit, a power greater than myself. It's both an inside and outside job. I have control over only two things really-my attitude and my actions.
I also get guidance and support from outside myself, through faith in a higher being, and through the love and support of others, both those who share in recovery and those who simply share in this life. They may be family and friends who I have known for decades, or a random encounter with a stranger I see once.
My alcoholic thinking can certainly clutter my mind, but it also clutters my spirit. It blocks the light, it creates obstacles to answers, to next steps. Cleansing the spirit is necessary. A good flushing out to clear the pathways again.
There are many ways to cleanse the spirit. My physical, mental, and emotional health are all part of that process as well. An invigorating run. A deep conversation. A good read. Quiet time. Living gratefully. Laughter. These all help. So does prayer. Writing. Acceptance. Tolerance.
Cleanse the spirit - nice phrase and powerful idea. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI once heard someone refer to this idea as "God's cosmic toothbrush." I like that :-)
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