I Had To Ask

Humility Opens the Door to Help

Knowing I needed help was not enough. Healing began when I became willing to ask for it.

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so God can heal you. When a believing person prays, great things happen. James 5:16

I was sharing with someone this week about my experience when I first entered recovery and was wanting a sponsor. I remember I kept wondering and couldn’t figure out why no one asked me if they could sponsor me. It was a beginner’s meeting, and I was a beginner. I was surrounded by people who clearly understood why I was there and what I was going through. The rooms were full of experience, strength, and hope. I had opened up in meetings and shared my story and the reason I was there, so people knew I needed help. But week after week went by and no one asked me if they could sponsor me. I could not figure it out. It took me a few weeks, but I finally realized that although I needed help, I had to ask for it. I had not asked.

Asking for help is a requirement. It is not optional. It is not a weakness either. It is actually a strength. And it is a basic principle of the program. For so long before recovery I was never humble enough to ask for help. Even when I desperately needed and wanted help, I could not bring myself to ask. My pride was holding me back. Fear of rejection was a major reason. It felt safer to struggle quietly than to risk hearing no.

In recovery I began to learn something different. Asking for help is not a weakness. It is a strength and a basic principle of the program. Recovery is not for those who need it. Every person I have met needs it. Recovery is for those who want it and are willing to humble themselves and ask for help.

Once I finally asked, something changed in me. That first time was so very hard. But when I did, help immediately came. It was just what I needed too. Everything else after that seemed to get easier as well. It was like a light switch got flipped on in my thinking. It had been there the whole time but had been off with a “Do not touch” sign on it. I had already asked for help once and I got it. So I thought, maybe it could happen again? I did. And it did. Now I know I can flip that switch whenever I need to. The help and the experience of others had been there all along. The availability of help was never a problem. My willingness to reach for it was.

Recovery keeps reminding me that I was never meant to carry life alone. Learning to humble myself and ask for help has been one of the ways God has guided me toward healing. That willingness to reach out is part of the gift of recovery for me.

Prayer

Father, thank You for showing me that I do not have to carry life alone. Help me stay humble to ask for help when I need it. Help me surrender my pride and my fear, and teach me to trust the people You place in my life. Thank You for the healing that comes when I reach out. Amen.