Getting Back Into the Game.
I used to let one mistake take me out of the game. Today, I get back in.
Even if good people fall seven times, they will get back up. Proverbs 24:16 NCV
I was watching a football game this past weekend when a defender was called for pass interference. It was a costly penalty that eventually led to a touchdown for the opposing team. The defender came off the field for the next play, but he didn’t stay on the sidelines for the rest of the game. He came back in and continued to play his position. Later in the game, he made an interception that gave his team the victory. It was a huge play!
I started thinking that this was a great analogy demonstrating the difference between how I approached life before recovery and how I approach it today because of my recovery. Before recovery, when I made a mistake or did something wrong, I would beat myself up. I would replay it over and over in my head. I would start thinking about not just that one mistake, but every mistake I had ever made. I would pout and feel sorry for myself and allow it to sideline me. Even after the mistake was over, I would continue living in it. One bad play would keep me out of the rest of the game. The game of life.
Working through the Steps has helped me develop a healthier self-esteem. It has given me confidence in myself without being arrogant. I still have shortcomings and I still make mistakes. Big surprise, right? I’m not perfect! But making a mistake doesn’t mean I’m a failure. I’m no longer a victim. I don’t let my past mistakes define me or keep me out of the game. When I make a mistake, sometimes I am stunned and I reel for a moment. It may take me a couple days to write about something and process my feelings. And sometimes even longer to change behaviors. I am taken out for a play. But when I am finished with my inventory, I make amends if needed and I continue to seek God’s will for me and ask for the power to carry it out. That is me getting back in the game.
Watching that player continue to play and then make that great play encouraged me. I am like that now. I no longer let a mistake keep me out of the game. I get back in and do the next right thing. I may not make a game-winning interception or score a touchdown, but then again I may. Either way, I’m not quitting. The game is not over, and neither is my life. That gives me hope. I don’t know what the next play will bring, but I know God will be helping me as I continue doing the next right thing. And that is the gift of recovery for me.
Prayer: God, help me to never give up in my own life. Give me the strength to get back up, and the courage to get back into the game. Give me the wisdom to do the next right thing. Guide me in the direction I should go. Amen.
