Emily sat in her car, motor running, in front of the small liquor store. She wrestled with the idea of going inside to buy a quart of vodka. It’s not how she planned to spend her evening, but the urge to take a drink, just to get the edge off, was powerful. She was only home for a couple of days, having spent nearly four months in a residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. She was doing well and got a three-day pass to go home and see her mother. But there she was.
The recovery process had not been easy for her, as Emily struggled with the idea of going through a 12-Step program. It’s not that she objected to the 12-Step, it’s more like she just did not understand or fully grasp the idea of turning her will and her life over to the care of God, as she understood Him. Emily felt that some power other than her own will was needed to help her through recovery, but exactly what that power was, or who that power was, kept her searching for answers. God who? She was making progress, but bouncing around the steps a little. The God thing was a difficult hurdle.
By her own admission, she did not know how long she sat in her car, debating with herself. She had gone into liquor stores before, many times, so it was no great fete to buy a bottle. But things were different now. She wanted to continue her recovery at the rehab center, and she didn’t want to take any unnecessary steps backward. She decided to take a bold step and ask for help. Although she did not comprehend God in the way many others at the rehab center did, she started praying for help. There was nothing fancy about her request, just “Please God I don’t want to drink. Help me.”
She put her car in gear, pulled out on the street and drove two blocks, turned left and there it was, the small community center where the local Alcoholics Anonymous meeting was about to take place. She had been trying to find it, but couldn’t. She drove around for nearly 45 minutes and was ready to quit. She saw the liquor store and pulled over.
It’s a true story. In a very real moment in time, for a very real purpose, a very real God answered her prayer for help. When she returned to rehab, she was convinced of a real and personal God. Emily took a major step forward after that experience, knowing that a real and loving God was there for her to call upon. It’s not so much that a person has gone to church every week, or knows Bible verses, or is conversant in theology. What is important is the personal relationship with God. Everything else will fall into place. Emily made sure all of her friends knew that.
