And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”

Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭23

Sobriety is an impossible chasm. We see the other side with all its regular people and seeming happiness. But there is no way across. It is literally a cliff side in front of us.

So we continue drinking.

Eventually, though, we are curious again. We creep back to the edge of things and look across. Sure enough, we even recognize some of the faces over there.

They are inviting us to cross. And we now confirm that they’ve lost their minds. We aren’t that bad off that we would jump. No thank you.

Back to the comfort and despair of familiarity.

We know this pattern. We know the lengths we are willing to go to not change. We know the pain of the proposition of having to divert course, to admit wrong, to try something new.

So we do nothing.

Until we muster the willingness to listen. Until we muster the courage to believe what they are saying.

They say there is a bridge. They say they didn’t see it either. Couldn’t. Until they started walking.

They say it was scary. And they’re right.

Am I willing to step forward?