I also needed to be sober—just to make it through. Without sobriety, I think the magnitude of my difficult experiences—one on top of the other—would have overwhelmed me. Because I stopped drinking, which was my primary addiction, and did the work to become sober—lots of work over many years, I achieved my goal. I learned to discern the patterns and ascertain the truth. As a result, I have been able to differentiate between chicken salad and chicken you know what. I stopped being a little boy and became a man—much to the delight of those around me, including me.
Living a sober life required me to take a massive moral inventory—a level of honesty I had never known before. It was hard at first; but after a while, it became a way of life I welcomed. Honesty made me strong, and I’ve been able to share that strength with you in Pushing Jesus—candidly and consistently. It has helped me build the character qualities I long admired but found elusive.
By making myself vulnerable—at such an intimate level, I know I’ve touched nearly everyone who has read the entries posted. That’s why I’ve chosen to share my experience this way. I want to touch people where they hurt and tell them there’s a way out that works. It’s God’s way—a way filled with truth and light, and it’s available to all who are ready for it. There’s no “Easy Button,” but there is a guarantee. If you do the work–consistently for a long time–perhaps years, you will like the results.
If I had concealed my difficult experiences, refusing to expose my vulnerabilities and failures to you, what benefit would that be? The richness and value of my unusual sojourn would be lost, and I would be just another guy who led a unique life but seemed to always land on his feet. I wanted more than that—much, much more. By sharing my life, I’ve provided others with an example they can follow, and this has redeeming value.
(More Tomorrow)
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