Having faith means no longer assuming the other shoe will drop. . .
I heard a great talk last night by a long term recovering alcoholic and addict. He went through the steps and shared his journey, making it a talk that could be appreciated by both the old-timer and the newcomer. There was humor along with humility. A proper amount of pride in his successes but he wasn’t prideful. And he shared a few really wonderful one-liners that I will cherish for a long time. One of them was that having faith means no longer waiting for the other shoe to drop. I had never thought of it that way but that’s not only a wonderful image but a nugget of gold to tuck away in one’s pocket.
Probably most of us lived, as did I, certain that something dark was going to descend at all most any moment. That didn’t change when I first got into recovery either. I was still terrified most of the time. Of people, places, events and the accumulation of uncertainties that my new life introduced me to. And every time one hurdle was scaled, I was sure the next one would be the one to trip me. Breathing deeply and quietly, with a certainty that all was well, was unfathomable. When did I turn the corner?
It’s hard to pinpoint the moment that I began to truly believe that there was a Higher Power in charge and he/she didn’t need my help. That in fact, my Higher Power would catch any shoe before it dropped, placing it where it needed to be rather than allowing it to trip me up. My life has become so much more peaceful since letting God be in charge of all the shoes. My work is to simply walk in the ones he places next to my bed each morning.
Having faith that the next right thing is certain to happen and then a bit more faith that we will know how to handle the thing that does “come calling,” is what is promised to us when we willing turn our life and will over to the care of a loving Higher Power. It’s a simple decision, really, but one that gets re-made every day by most of us. That’s not because of lack of sincerity the first time we make it, but because we are human and the ego wants to be in charge of decisions and shoes, and other people and sundry other situations that occur on any day of our lives.
Giving up the need to know, giving up the need to look for “falling shoes,” giving up the need to doubt the appropriateness of any experience that has claimed our attention frees us to simply live and breath and love those who share our journey.
Have a blessed day. Let God be in charge. Okay?
