In recovery, people are taught about a Higher Power. According to the Twelve Steps of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, the Second Step is "Came to believe a Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity."
Well, I don't know about you, but admitting that I have had some insane behavior in my life is a big deal. Sure I'll admit that I have made messes bigger than a St. Bernard on white carpet ... yet insanity? I had it all together.
Sure! As long as I helped everyone else out with "their problems" -- most importantly my close family -- I was doing Life 101 just right. One thing, though, that I have learned in 20-plus months of being in the Program is that I don't have all the answers. I have been blind to so many character defects in myself because I've been paying way too much time to others' defects and helping them get over their problems.
I "zoned out" of my self. My spirit -- MY SPIRIT -- was drained, quenched and plain pooped out. Where was my energy for my life? Where was IT going to come from? That, friends, is where I'd like to turn this matter toward recovering your Spirit and my Spirit.
In Christianity, there is an entity called the Holy Spirit that is part of the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son -- Jesus of Nazareth, and God the Holy Spirit). Some see the Spirit as not so much part of a Holy Trinity but as part of the spiritual realm of life. It could be considered as part of a human being's soul ... wherever the soul is within a human body.
It is my assumption that we don't really start recovering in a full, holistic sense until the Spirit within each one of us begins to heal.
Here are three ways we all can begin to Recover The Spirit: one, opening up ourselves to our woundedness; two, surrendering our selves to a program of recovery; and three, developing a greater relationship with God.
The healing begins when the wounds open up ... those wounds that haven't been touched for years and years. Grief, anger, rage, resentment, jealousy, abuse, neglect -- whatever falls into the category of woundedness, name it. That's one way of starting to recover your Spirit. Put a name on the wound and get to healing it through 12-step work, therapy, prayer, meditation, self study or whatever route is available.
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