Challenges

Sometimes our experiences in recovery challenge us at a spiritual level, beyond anything equalled at the physical or emotional levels.

Imagine that you are travelling in your vehicle, miles from home when you come upon an accident scene. Stopping to help, you size up the situation, realizing that a person’s life is in danger. You remove that person from the vehicle and seconds later it bursts into flames. You have saved a life!

You form a bond with the person you have helped, get to know them and a friendship ensues. As time passes you learn more about them. Others offer information about them, revealing dark and malevolent truths that actually cause you to regret your intervention. You are challenged at a very deep level to maintain compassion for your new friend.

Sometimes in recovery we discover a similar scenario. As the friend in deed or the friend in need we are challenged by times, in the very same way.

My story mirrors the relationship between a newly recovering individual and their sponsor. There are difficult and trying situations within the group setting and the sponsor relationship. Forever the challenge remains … to maintain our focus on what presents itself in the moment with an eye to the welfare of the group in the future.

— Carl Cheney