Just do it.....
We called Teen Challenge yesterday, on an information gathering mission. I had them on speaker and my girl sat next to me. She shared a little bit of her story and why she felt she needed their program....then I asked about medications. "We don't allow any medications. We believe that God has the power to heal them of any and all ailments."
Whoa.....
I said, "Ok. I can understand that. I hear what you are saying, but that is a scary leap to make." No anti-depressants, nothing for anxiety, and certainly no Suboxone. I asked about vitamins....those are a no-go also.
Let me start with....I DO believe in the healing power of God. I really do. But I also believe in a process. I believe that process is different for every person. I believe that there are many Christians who take medications for all sorts of ailments and they are NOT out of God's will for their lives. I believe in walking along someone in their process....gently and in love. Working toward a goal. Of course the argument could be made that that method has not been very successful for us...but its still what I believe. I think that we all have the responsibility of responding to our process too.
We would need to have a Dr. wean my girl off of all prescribed medications prior to entering treatment. Does God heal her as she crosses over the threshold of their doorway? What if that doesn't happen and she started sinking into a depression......would they pray for her revival as she hung from the closet rail?
I explained that her mental health issues were the pre-cursor to her drug use. There is a long family history of mental health issues with depression and anxiety. "We believe in the healing power of God."
After we got off the phone, I felt like, "Ok thats not it. Thats not the answer." I also felt like, its time for her to decide to just do it. She doesn't need another program. She is IN a program right now. She knows recovery, she needs to APPLY the principles of recovery in her life. If she wants to be clean then she needs to do what it takes to make that happen. In my new book The Privileged Addicts he talks a lot about doing the right thing. Again and again and again and it began to change him. "Something mystical (spiritual) happened." As he chose he was given the tools he needed to do each day. I believe that.....we are given what we need when we need it. Its those initial choices, those first steps toward something new that are so hard and so terrifying.
Somehow, these ideas, these awareness's feel so simple and so right to me and I feel ok about it all. Relieved. I work my program. I do what I need to do to the best of my ability every day to live a clean and honest life, a surrendered life. That is my little plot to tend. Thats it. Thats all I get to dig around in.
God show us the way......
Annette
Whoa.....
I said, "Ok. I can understand that. I hear what you are saying, but that is a scary leap to make." No anti-depressants, nothing for anxiety, and certainly no Suboxone. I asked about vitamins....those are a no-go also.
Let me start with....I DO believe in the healing power of God. I really do. But I also believe in a process. I believe that process is different for every person. I believe that there are many Christians who take medications for all sorts of ailments and they are NOT out of God's will for their lives. I believe in walking along someone in their process....gently and in love. Working toward a goal. Of course the argument could be made that that method has not been very successful for us...but its still what I believe. I think that we all have the responsibility of responding to our process too.
We would need to have a Dr. wean my girl off of all prescribed medications prior to entering treatment. Does God heal her as she crosses over the threshold of their doorway? What if that doesn't happen and she started sinking into a depression......would they pray for her revival as she hung from the closet rail?
I explained that her mental health issues were the pre-cursor to her drug use. There is a long family history of mental health issues with depression and anxiety. "We believe in the healing power of God."
After we got off the phone, I felt like, "Ok thats not it. Thats not the answer." I also felt like, its time for her to decide to just do it. She doesn't need another program. She is IN a program right now. She knows recovery, she needs to APPLY the principles of recovery in her life. If she wants to be clean then she needs to do what it takes to make that happen. In my new book The Privileged Addicts he talks a lot about doing the right thing. Again and again and again and it began to change him. "Something mystical (spiritual) happened." As he chose he was given the tools he needed to do each day. I believe that.....we are given what we need when we need it. Its those initial choices, those first steps toward something new that are so hard and so terrifying.
Somehow, these ideas, these awareness's feel so simple and so right to me and I feel ok about it all. Relieved. I work my program. I do what I need to do to the best of my ability every day to live a clean and honest life, a surrendered life. That is my little plot to tend. Thats it. Thats all I get to dig around in.
God show us the way......
Annette
Comments
Now I know better.
God is all consuming love. He has given us so many blessings and one of those many things is vaccines. Do you know how many people would be dead if it were not for vaccines? They same goes for so many medications. Yes, some are abused but I thank my God for vaccines. My children have never had Whooping cough or measles or smallpox. So if God can be thanked for those I will also give him thanks for the Zoloft I take. I would be dead without it, I have little doubt. Your beautiful daughter deserves all that is available to help he through this.
I continue to pray for your girl and you.
I don't think B needs another rehab. He knows what to do. He has to want it and he just isn't there yet.
Tori, I am so glad you are reading the book too.
Sheri, I think you are right. It sounds like your son is experiencing his own light bulb moments. Its such a painful process to watch....but when they begin to see the light, its miraculous!
A boat came to save him. He refused stating, "God will save me."
A second boat arrived. Again he refused stating, "God will save me."
Still a THIRD boat arrived and again he refused stating, emphatically this time, "GOD will SAVE me!"
The waters rose and he drowned.
When he got to heaven he asked God, "Why didn't you save me?"
To which God replied, "I sent you three boats!"
I think we have to be aware of God's gifts and use them for our good. I believe that one of those are physicians and chemists who discover new and different things about our bodies and new and different medications to help us.
JMHO
Sherry
She must make that decision for herself, no amount of coercion can put her in that place.
It comes do to whatever works and whatever works for her.
We learned with Alex we could support but most important we had to get out of his way enough for him to make it happen for himself.
Good Luck
I'm still praying and reading, Annette. Go give your hubby a hug, and that way you'll get one too.... from me! Love, hugs and prayers, Joy
God bless you all with the choices that are ahead of you.