| Personal Stories of Recovery | |
My Christmas Gifts
My life has been more difficult than usual the last few months. Working two jobs was taking its toll and it seemed that I all I did was work and care for my son. My resentment toward my son's father was something I had to deal with daily.
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Christmas Eve was truly my low point. I was miserable.
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Christmas Eve was truly my low point. I was miserable. I was praying that God would help me count my blessings and change my attitude, but I wasn't having much success. I felt as though I had lost my faith and was not feeling very hopeful about the future.
Topic was Gratitude
On Christmas Eve I decided to go to The Dry Dock Center. The Center was holding an AA meeting every two hours. With a heavy heart I entered the 6:00 p.m. meeting. The topic was gratitude. I could feel my heart become lighter as I listened to people share. I do not believe in coincidences. God was helping me to remember why I am so grateful and as I listened began to count my blessings.|
I knew that no matter what God's will was for my future, I could accept it with grace and dignity.
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The topic at this meeting was faith and hope. As I listened to what people had to share, I knew that no matter what God's will was for my future, I could accept it with grace and dignity. I realized that God was in charge and I was filled with hope that He would never give me more than I could handle.
The topic at 10:00 p.m. meeting were The Promises. I heard someone say, "that we would comprehend serenity and know peace." It took me back to a very particular evening when I had been sober a little more than a year. My emotions that first year were raw. There was no balance and I was an emotional mess.
Again at Peace
Something happened to me that night. I experienced a peace that I had never known in my life or if I had experienced it before, I didn't remember it. I understood what serenity was and felt peace. That promise came true for me that night. I felt that again in the meeting on Christmas Eve and found myself thanking God for another gift. I was again at peace.|
I knew that the greatest gifts in our lives are not wrapped in pretty paper.
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His sadness at the loss of his one true love touched me and I realized another of God's gifts to me. It was the gift of love. I remembered that there is much love in my life since I became a part of the fellowship of AA and that I should never take it for granted.
As I watched my son open his gifts this morning, I knew that the greatest gifts in our lives are not wrapped in pretty paper. The true beauty of those gifts can only be realized when we can accept and appreciate them.
Rosemary
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