Alcohol Took From Me

[notwrapped]

Alcohol Took From Me many many things ..My dignity,pride,ambition and so much more until all I wanted was "My Jug" and to be left to it.The thing is it didn't give anything in return but misery.This is what I have always thought...but ,in fact, I have come to realise that I have emerged from Hell,this nightmare of active addiction, a much stronger,spiritual and determined person than I was before.I have met people I may not have met,done things I may not have done and experienced a closness with God that I may not have seeked out otherwise.I was broken and now I am in repair mode.... I find that I wear my sobriety like a badge of honor.I have more pride in myself for not using than I ever had from "drinking my friends under the table".
What did Alcohol take from you?.. Are you proud of yourself? I hope so cause you should be!!


Anyway... I found this on another recovery site and thought it was pretty cool:

Alcohol took most of my years
Then filled me with a hundred fears
Laid me out on the cold frozen street
Those days I will never forget
They were so far
From being
Sweet
Then one day
I cried out
To God
Above
Give me one
Just one more chance
In mercy and grace in your love
It was then I turned
To the doors
Of AA
They taught me
How to live inside today
I am grateful you will hear me say
My actions will surely light my way
I have worked the steps one by one
In recovery I pray I am never done
This now is the way I choose to live
Out of gratitude I now give
This is the way
I like to live
In recovery
The more we give
Yes the more we get
Today our lifes
Have no regret​

Author
Daniel M Corkery

 

[Healed_IHS]

Alcohol took from me my time. It stole from me a future that I and God are reclaiming Day by Day. It ruined my relationships with family, friends, and my Creator. At the same time it gave me an opportunity to have a testimony. God works miracles!

 

[notwrapped]

Amen my brother.. I attend a large mens meeting on Friday nights. The slogan is "We are All Miracles"

 

[Healed_IHS]

Miracle is the only way to explain it. It's not that now I know better. I knew the other times, if I drink - I'd lose my home, job, friends.. etc. Now, I just get repulsed thinking of drinking. I have to be honest though, I would hesitate if someone offered me $5,000 to get drunk. I wouldn't say no right away, but would immediately have to get into some serious prayer.

 

[Autumnleaf]

It takes time and money and other people's faith being able to depend on you. The exchange is usually for a short time of blissful ignorance or self delusionment.

 

[Divinah]

It does take alot from you.
I Praise God to be walking in deliverance everyday!

I have found one of the most difficult things is when other people don't/don't want to acknowledge the
"New Creature" that you are in CHRIST...seems like people try to hold you down...It's too much for others to see YOU, whom they would have once counted out...enjoying a GRACE, LIFE, JOY and PEACE...that is beyond them.

It's really hard, especially in the beginning because that alone can feel like such a potential trigger.

But...GLORY TO GOD...It is in your perseverence and success in HIM that you become that much more of a testimony...even/especially to THOSE PEOPLE.

And God's Glory is so manifest and YOUR FAITH strengthend that much more.

Glory To God! ... He is So GOOD.

 

[justanobserver]

In the physical/financial sense, my addicitons (alcohol and substance) took from me: house, cars, savings, property, loss of a career and retirement - I was 2 years short of retiring from the Army when I lost it all.

I lost family, my older kids, friends, self respect, honor, in some ways (and its the only way I can explain it to me) my soul/me. I am now diabetic, have permament liver damage, vision isnt as good, short term memory loss, got a cough that just wont quite go away, semi daily migrains and I could go on.

I have gone from being a decorated Section Sergeant in charge of soldiers and trusted responsibilities, respect from both NCOs and officers with millions of dollars of equipment with my signature on the hand receipt to where I am at now - in a city I dont want to be in with a relative I dont care for driving a car that may or may not start with everything I own , or what is left of my pitiful few possessions fitting inside a 10 by12 room that I call my home in a bad neighborhood where I only get 3 - 5 hours sleep a night due to the noise, gunfire, music, etc.

The upside to all this?

I am sober. I am clean. I remember what I did yesterday and where I went. I havent had a blackout spell in almost 3 yrs. I havent peeked thru the curtains with the fear of drug induced paranoia for almost 4 yrs, I am not doin the shakes or jonesing for a hit. I am not in a drunken stupor today nor wondering what personal possessions I have left to sell to buy a 16th. I am not rich but I do have money in my pocket and am bulding a savings account to buy a nice car so I can move early next year sometime.

Its one day at a time, sometimes one minute at a time. When I use to worry about being accepted by others, I am learning to finally accept me. When others cannot see past my past, I coinsider it their loss as they do not know who I really am - I am me, a unique individual, a person who has seen the bottom of the pit and thusly hold empathy and expereicned undertsanding for another that is there.

I can smile, hold my head up in self respect and know because where I been I can see where I am going.

But said all that to say this: Hi. My name is Norm and I am a greatful recovering alcoholic.

 

[Shiversblood]

Alcohol took God away from me. I've been trying to stop, and dedicateing myself to God fully.