Squirrels, Cars, and Recovery

While driving my youngest to school this morning a squirrel jumped out in front of the van. Now, ask anyone that’s been in the car with me and they’ll tell you, “Nick drives like a grandma,” whatever that means…I call it driving the speed limit, but ANYWAYS…I was able to slow down with enough time for the squirrel to make it across the road safely (aside from a possible fit of anxiety as this massive white thing was about to run it over).

And, like God so often does, He whispered, “That was you.”
And, like I so often do, I replied, “Huh?”

God then reminded me of the squirrel of frantically darts across the road, weaving in and out of traffic, dodging cars and trucks, simply trying to make it to the other side (much like the chicken). But every once in a while there’s a squirrel, that for whatever reason, right before it makes it to the other side, right on the edge of reaching its destination, it stops, turns around, and runs back.

“That was you, Nick.”

I’d like to suggest that is not only me, but it’s YOU…it’s ALL of us! We WANT to get better. We WANT to get unstuck. We WANT to be free. So we walk through the doors of a church or the doctor’s office or the rehab or Celebrate Recovery with EVERY INTENTION of doing it! Then, at the last possible moment, something happens, something sparks a sense of doubt, and we TURN BACK.

That’s the squirrel that gets hit by the car.
That’s the squirrel whose life ends before it really begins.
That’s you.
That’s me.

Don’t give up. Don’t turn away. Don’t go back to old habits, old hurts, old feelings of bitterness and resentment. Don’t go back to what’s comfortable (and by comfortable I’m not talking about “feel good” I’m talking about “It’s what I’ve always known”).

Instead of turning back to the very thing that sent you across the road, KEEP RUNNING FORWARD! Work your program! Keep going to group! Take your medicine! Don’t look at what’s coming, don’t look at what was; keep looking straight ahead at the GOAL, the DESTINATION!

Hesitate and you’ll die.
Recovery is that serious.