A Note to My Fellow Blueshirts

Good morning, Brothers:

Although I had a clean weekend, I have to admit that sobriety has been more of a struggle lately. Gone is the serenity that accompanied the forty day stretch I had last month. Instead I am filled with doubts, anxiety, and loss of confidence. I am worried about whether I can be strong.

And that, of course, is part of the problem. My focus has been shifted to my own efforts whereas during my stretch of sobriety the focus was on trusting God. The enemy has slipped in, told me what a good job I was doing, got me to focus on my own efforts, and then sprung the trap.

I am reminded of what R said some time back: the enemy will not be pleased with our success and will find new ways to attack us.

So as we struggle, remember that our struggles are also a sign that something worthwhile is happening here. Our sincere desire to surrender ourselves to Christ makes us targets for the work of the enemy. Let's be honest as we encounter temptation and difficulty. These temptations ARE too much for us ... but they are not too much for Christ. Every struggle is another chance to acknowledge that our healing will come from Christ or not at all.

Take courage, Brothers, for Christ is here!