Crossroads,
There is a lesson in our CR Step study guides called Crossroads. It’s associated with Step 10: “We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.” The corresponding CR Principle is; “Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination. Bible reading, and prayer in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will.” Most recovery material refers to Steps 10 thru 12 as the maintenance steps. But the reality is, this is where we live out the rest of our lives, one day at a time, and it is a whole lot more than “maintenance.” The caution from scripture says; “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” 1Cor 10:12NIV.
I like the title of the lesson because we come to many crossroads throughout our journey. A crossroad is typically not a place to stay, not a final destination. It’s a decision point. Do we stop here? Do we go some other direction or on toward our desired destination? Or maybe we just want to turn around and go back where we came from?
When we reach a crossroad how do we decide which way we are going to go? At the risk of sounding simplistic it depends on where we want to go. Where do we REALLY want to go?
This summer we planned a vacation to Colorado. It was a long drive. After about six hours on the road, tired and travel weary we decided to stop for the night in WaKeeny, KS. After coming a long way, many miles behind us we deserved a rest. Do you know what’s in WaKeeny, KS? Nothing! Oh, there was a motel and a Dollar Store. That’s it! Pam and I spent the evening walking down a lonely highway and through the aisles of the Dollar Store. The saving grace? It was quiet, peaceful and we saw a beautiful sunset, kind of romantic really.
The next morning we had a decision to make, I mean we were literally at a crossroads. Do we just turn around and go back to Oklahoma? Nope, no way, we know what’s back there. It’s hot, dry, and windy in Oklahoma and besides we had gone too far to turn back now. Do we stay in WaKeeny? I don’t think so. Quaint and peaceful as it was, there was a whole lot more than that awaiting us on down the road. Or do we go some other direction, maybe toward Dodge City? Not on your life it stinks there. No we WANT to go to Colorado to see the majesty of the mountains, the brisk fresh air, the beauty of the crystal clear mountain streams carving their way through the magnificent wilderness. We wanted the joy of reuniting with some old friends and our youngest daughter and her family. That’s what we wanted, Colorado the “promise land.” So we didn’t stay in WaKeeny, we didn’t go another direction and we did not go back, we headed for the mountains. It was a wonderful journey.
That’s the way it is with Recovery, we don’t stop just because we have come a long way, we don’t stay there in WaKeeny, and we sure don’t go back or some other direction. We keep moving forward toward what we really want, freedom, healing, and the joy of more of God. I don’t call that maintenance.
Phil 3:12-14 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Thanks for traveling with us on this journey called Celebrate Recovery!
Jim & Pam