WITH GOD

I’ve come to the day in my journal entry sharing that I was prepared to quit drinking. It was a day that the Lord had known from the beginning, before my birth this day 47 years prior. And in his grace, he gave me a glimpse of his sovereignty, presence, and plan. A coincidence of dates maybe, but I know differently.

 Wednesday September 27th 2017 
 
Max Lucado devotional for today:  “Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say. . .“It is Well with My Soul!”

I was led to a book yesterday Coming Clean by Seth Haines.  It’s more of a diary from what I can tell so far about Seth’s getting sober and beating (I think) alcohol addiction.  The Chapters are dates and the first Chapter is dated September 26th, I choose to believe that is not a coincidence and God wants me to read this book.  I pray this morning for God to help me hear whatever it is I need to hear/learn from this book.  Praise the Lord!

A week or so later I decided to reach out to Seth Haines (the author) and sent him the following email:

 I am recovering from alcohol addiction; this is my 9th day of not drinking. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX. 

 I started going to a Christian counselor on July 12th XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX and have gone every week since. We took an approach of gradual decrease in drinking with the goal of abstinence. I had recently decided I would stop drinking on my birthday September 27th.  I was led to your book last Tuesday (Sept 26th) and was stunned when I opened up my Kindle app and saw chapter 1 dated September 26th!!! One of many examples of God’s great love and timing I’ve experienced over the past 2+ months. I just last night read the Chapter where you talk about your counseling experience going from feeling awkward to looking forward to it, very much the same experience I’ve had. I have not had a sick child, however many of the other things you’ve experienced have been nearly identical to what I’ve experienced. I can’t begin to tell you how much I’ve appreciated this book; I look forward to reading it each night before bed. I truly believe this book has been a gift from God that I received at exactly the right time.

 Yesterday I talked with my counselor about my struggle to share my story with others. To this point only a few close friends and my parents are aware that I had a problem. I still struggle with being embarrassed and ashamed about my past (I realize this is the enemy). She is encouraging me to share and experience the freedom she believes it will give me. I know she’s right and I’m working through getting past my shame, I will get there.

 Anyway I Praise God for your book and wanted to thank you.

(Seth Haines released his second book in January – “The Book of Waking Up”, I’m close to finishing it up.  I highly recommend both of these books, Seth has a unique gifted way of writing that really speaks to me.)

This is a great reminder to me of God’s PERFECT timing.  It was as if God was saying, in case you doubt Kurtis, I’m here with you and I always will be.  He has been with me each and every day and continues to be with me and I NEED Him.  Joshua 1:9 (NIV) says:

A command and a promise that is so true.  With God my weakness becomes strength!  With God He turns my fears into courage!  Today (03/14/20) is 900 days since I quit drinking, no way I would have ever had the strength to do this without God, no way I could have had the courage to confess and share my story without God.  It’s His strength that has sustained me and will continue to do so the rest of my life.  

DIVINE SOBRIETY

Seth Haines has a section in “The Book of Waking Up” called What is Sobriety?  He gives us some ideas on what scripture says about being sober:

117. IT’S ALL ABOUT ORDERING OUR LOVES

“To be sober—what does it mean but to be awake to all our coping mechanisms, even our transfer addictions?  What is true sobriety if not ensuring that we’re seeking God for the things only he can give and that we’re using the pleasures of the world as he intended.  This is the message of the Scriptures: Love the Lord your God first; love your neighbor as much as you love yourself—and by implication, love everything else under that (Matt. 22:37-38).  Sobriety is all about ordering our affections, ours loves.  It’s about being awake to God in every moment, even the moments of our pain, and fixing our adoration to him.  It’s a call that can be seen throughout the Scriptures………” 

138. THIS IS DIVINE SOBRIETY 

“See?  For Jesus it wasn’t all about the rules, the dos and do-nots.  He knew we could just say no to drugs, refrain from overdrinking, and put site blockers on our website browsers and still be asleep to God’s love.  All the rules in the world won’t lead us into a life of diving sobriety.  So the way I see it, the sobriety Jesus preached is marked by three characteristics:

1. Being so incorporated into the Divine Love of God that every created thing (bread, wine, even pain) draws us ever deeper into that love

2. Letting go of the created things we’re prone to use as substitutes for the healing, resurrecting, life-giving, restoring Divine Love

3. Pushing into the Divine Love through eating his body, drinking his blood, walking as he walked, praying as prayed, loving as he loved, blessing as he blessed” 

I want more than just being “sober”, I seek this Divine Sobriety that Seth is talking about.  I want to see God in all the created things of this world – not turn them into coping mechanisms or worse, addictions and idles.

My prayer for myself and anyone who might be struggling with alcohol or any addiction would be that we would seek God in our struggles.  I pray that He will give us the strength and courage to overcome the chains of addiction.  May our affections be ordered so that we will always be awake to God in every moment.  As Seth said, may we let go of the created things we’re prone to use, restoring the Divine Love of God!

OTHER BLOGG STUFF – Songs and Quotes…

LORD, I NEED YOU by Matt Maher 

Lord, I come, I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
Without You I fall apart
You’re the One that guides my heart

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

Where sin runs deep Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
Where You are, Lord, I am free
Holiness is Christ in me

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

So teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
When I cannot stand I’ll fall on You
Jesus, You’re my hope and stay

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You
Every hour I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

You’re my one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You
My one defense, my righteousness
Oh God, how I need You

The world is filled with God’s glory. You can’t turn without bumping into it.

R. C. Sproul

Until next time I’m thankful for the Scars, may God Bless You!

KB