But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life

Luke 21:34

Recovery is a concerted exercise in misdirection. We attempt to be selfless to cure our incessant selfishness which in turn ends up being the very fuel of our using. While we put in the spiritual reps, He begins to work in and through us before we even realize it.

We find that the root of our malady is not obvious and the remedies so counterintuitive that we ignore them till they are a last resort.

I am saturated with distraction.

So often I run toward shiny objects at work, at home, in relationships. I am looking ahead, looking forward, straining for more. And missing what’s in front of me.

At 2 months sober, I wanted 2 years. At 25 years old I wanted wisdom I would only learn over the next 25.

Distraction leads me in circles. And this can frustrate and infuriate me if I take my eyes off of Him—my constant.

It’s better that I can’t see far, He reminds me that I don’t have to. What is right in front of me is enough. When I take on more than this, I begin to be bogged down with the worries of life.

These are real worries and I’ll often have to address them. But only the ones that are actually in front of me.

God, help me look past the distractions vying for my attention and see the simple next right things you have prepared for me.