…so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭10

What do we even pray for when the dust settles and we find ourselves sober but alone, weary and remorseful?

Maybe we are reduced to even less. Maybe feeling has yet to return and a haze of confusion falls on the gratitude we had only moments before.

Early sobriety shifts and spins between the poles of our regrets and our joys. Trudging the road of happy destiny seems a far off plea, if not a total fabrication.

But God is here too. In the muck. The detritus of our life. He is in the business of second (and second thousandth) chances.

What next?

How can we walk in a manner worthy of Him?

There is only one way. Imitating Him in love.

And this is a lifeline exercise of zooming in, of concerning ourselves with the calculus of our actions. Reducing things down to each moment. Finding the right action, the right response, the proper leaning in everything.

No, perfection is not the goal, it’s the model. It’s not expected, but it’s the target. Progress is expected and welcomed, of course. But the two go together in proper measure.

Living one day at a time is still impossible if we are doing it on a whim, if we are not attentive to each moment. It’s in the moments that the curve of our path comes into focus.

No longer do we have to worry about the outcome tomorrow or next month.

Hyper focus on the present let’s us learn how to walk in stride with the Creator and how to tune our heart to the living Spirit we had tried to kick out.

God, thank you for walking with me. Give me strength to trudge forward.