For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬

Why the insistence to decide? Sure it’s obvious we need to arrest our using by deciding or conceding or attempting to sober up.

But why go on and have to decide to turn our will and life over to God?

Plenty is written on the subject. The Big Book addresses steps 2&3 in more detail than any other.

But a couple thoughts of my own.

Addiction is marked by carelessness. At least mine was. Not always the stupor of blatant dumb choices. But rather the undercurrent of taking one small wrong step at a time…consciously.

Yes, there is a physical component. A dangerous one, often. But that can be addressed by professionals where needed and in conjunction with our decisions to get better.

Once we’ve physically sobered, we are unchained. And we are pulled or maybe blown in many directions. We have spikes in emotions from good to bad. We need an anchor. We need a drink. Or we need something else.

The decision to trust God is the something else that we can hold on to. And it’s ironic because it’s certainly not a concrete thing for many of us.

We find, though, that making a decision to work the rest of the 12 steps is something concrete.

And by doing this. By experimenting, if you will, we begin to accept His will for us rather than our own while also anchoring ourselves to a way of life that we are ok with at least trying out.

This extends our physical sober time further. It gets our emotions somewhat in check as we begin to inventory and clean up the past next. And it keeps the door of willingness open.

Willingness to believe, though we aren’t there yet.

Willingness to accept direction if we don’t buy in all the way yet.

Willingness to decide to keep not drinking.

Willingness to take the next steps.

God works with souls in motion.

God, keep me moving in the right direction.