Things are so different in my life today then they even were a year ago. I’ve been on Spring break the past two weeks and this week I’ve been so busy doing work in and outside my home. Cleaning up from the winter and trying to make my yard look decent. As I was painting a garden sign today that I was going to throw out because it had faded. Then I realized I had a whole bunch of paint so I gave it a new look. As I was painting it I realized my life is similar to this sign. Before I got healed from addiction I was tired and beaten down. I looked and felt rough and rotten. Anytime I had weeks off work I had to check in with my accountability partner and show her a plan on how I had planned to stay sober. It was a challenge for me because boredom was my biggest trip up.
As I was painting my sign I realized that this year I did not need to outline my plan on how to stay sober. I can’t ever imagine going back into addiction again. This year is my fourth year of sobriety. Yes I still have an accountability partner which I will have until the day I take my last breath. Accountability keeps me striving everyday to keep my sobriety. In addiction I had an awesome counselor who challenged me when I needed it. I also had God to lean on everyday when I felt like I could not do it anymore. I worked hard to overcome addiction and in the end I needed to forgive. Forgiveness is not a pass on what people have done to you in your life. For me it was setting me free from the hate I felt in my heart. Every time I hated I fell in addiction. The only way I could forgive was through God’s grace. That is why I can stand here today sober.
This tired faded sign just needed some love and a good coat of paint to make it new again. For us we need the Lord to love us no matter where we are in life. We need Him to renew our broken, tired souls. We need Him when the hardest thing to do is forgive. That broke the chains of addiction for me. Today I live a healthy life, I still am really careful to guard my heart so that I remain sober.
If your hurting and need help with addiction. Find someone you can trust to talk to. Cry out to God He is waiting for you. I share my story with you because I don’t want to forget where I came from to who I am today in redemption. ❤️
Beauty from Ashes. 
beautiful!
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