Where Our Attention Goes

As my wife and I were driving to work one day we found ourselves sitting at one of many red lights. The music on the radio was on break and talk show hosts were cracking their witty jokes. However, as we sat here a truck was turning from traffic with the traffic, and it was hauling a large black fridge in the back of it. This was no unusual sight necessarily, but how they had it strapped down was highly unusual to me.

The still had the fridge resting in on a transportation dolly, and one single strap wrapped both the fridge and that rolled to hold onto the rear part of this truck. Now whether this was proper fashion will vary on who you ask. I asked my wife in the moment if she had seen that, and her response, “What truck, and what fridge?” I thought surely that she could not have missed it, she was looking ahead also after all. But to my dismay, she had not in fact seen it. Even though it passed right before her.

I had an epiphany about addiction and recovery in this silly moment. Each of us walk a path unique to us. Each of us experience addiction in our own way. We see it in our own way. When it comes to painful failures, obvious solutions, great victories, we do not always see them at the same time as another might. My wife did not see a truck with a big black fridge in it being held in place by one strap, but I did. Our attention was focused elsewhere.

Maybe you’re the guy whose sobriety has lasted for years, or maybe you’re holding onto it for just the past few minutes. Extreme opposites I know, but truths, nonetheless. Each perspective will view what is in front of them differently. They will notice things which the other did not. Sometimes good and sometimes bad. But different. When you feel the fresh sting of a slip there are truths you might see more clearly. I can forgive myself; God does love me; I can get back up from this. When you’ve gone a year, there are also separate truths there. Each day is a mercy from God, his strength carries me, I am worth living this life. You can see the contrast, but there is one key theme here.

All of these are truth for the both of them. For both guys each positive thought and comment is true. Our position in recovery might tell us different ones, however. Addiction might try and strip us of those truths. But they are REAL! If you slipped just before ready this, God does carry you in his strength, not every moment is a momentary set back. If you’ve come here just for a refresher, you can still forgive yourself for the past pains and sins. There is so much more also that these truths can say about us. But most important is what God says about us.

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:37-39 NKJV

We are more than conquerers in Jesus Christ. This is a truth from God. Remember the next time you chat with another guy, that maybe they need some encouragement and a reminder of the love and help out there. But also, be open and listen because their words my also be edification to us.

Gaven F.

A grateful believer in Jesus Christ.