I am in awe that 3 years of sobriety have passed. I have come so far, and still have farther to go!  I’m Blessed that God has stood by my side in helping me get and STAY sober. Relapse isn’t in my vocabulary because I’m working the steps and I’ve surrendered totally to God.

I read this devotion the other day and I realize I’m still working on some of these “what ifs”, and so I know that walking in sobriety is a lifelong challenge. I intend to beat the challenge. My life was in shambles when I drank and I always felt awful and I don’t want those things in my life again.

How often do you play the “if only” game?

· If only I had it to do over.

· If only I had listened sooner.

· If only I could erase the past.

· If only I could forgive myself.

Because no one is perfect, we all have regrets. We’ve all made bad choices, said foolish things, wasted time, and hurt ourselves and others.

How do you release those regrets?

Here are some strategies that don’t work:

1. WE BURY THEM. Burying the past doesn’t work. Like creatures from a horror movie, unresolved regrets come back to haunt us over and over. Minimizing (“It wasn’t a big deal”), rationalizing (“Everyone does it”), and compromising (lowering your standards) are ways we try to bury our regrets

2. WE BLAME OTHERS. This tactic is as old as Adam and Eve. When Adam sinned, he took it like a man – he blamed his wife! We use blame to balance out our guilt.

3. WE BEAT OURSELVES. We try to pay for our guilt unconsciously through illness, depression, setting ourselves up for failure, and other forms of self-punishment. The problem with beating up on yourself is this: your conscience never knows when to stop! Many spend their entire lives in self-condemnation.

What does God want me to do with my regrets?

· Admit my guilt – Own up to it. Don’t make excuses. The Bible says, “People who cover over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them, they will receive mercy” (Proverbs 28:13 NLT).

· Accept Christ’s forgiveness – He’s waiting to clean your slate. Ask him to clear your conscience, and then remember “there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 NLT).

· Forgive yourself and focus on the future – “Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old. Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is). coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:18-19 HCSB

So, onward I go, redoing the steps when necessary, forgiving myself and others and carrying no regrets. Those are hard for me. But, with each passing year, I see God working more in my life and with each passing miracle I know that He’s looking out for me.

We are recovering addicts here and WE ARE ALL SPECIAL. I love you guys and thanks for standing by me.

 Tina/Godluvsall