How do you do it? How do you stay sober surrounded by triggers?” My first, honest answer was simple: by the grace of God. But I’ve learned that answer alone isn’t what people want to hear. Grace is available to everyone — so what makes the difference?
It’s what you do with grace that matters.
Grace is the gift. What you do with it — how you respond, how you invest your energy — is what changes everything. For me, staying sober means I pour into my recovery more energy than I once poured into my addiction. I treat my healing like the most important work I’ll ever do.
The Lord has renewed my mind and set me in a specific direction of healing. In the silence we learn to hear God’s direction and then step forward in faith and service to others.
Addiction like this only gives three choices: Sober up, go to prison, or die. Ask yourself: what are you willing to do for life? Do you want to live, or do you want to die? For a long time, I was trapped between those two extremes. I didn’t want to go back to prison, and I felt like I didn’t want to live if that was my only option. The choice came down to stepping toward life. This did not happen over night.
AA was the start for me. It allowed me to work the steps and truly take a look at the patterns in my life. That step was imperative. Now I can notice if I’m slipping into the loop of the old story and exit quickly. This is the game changer.
Each step forward has been a prayer. With every decision to choose differently, grace meets me there — helping to recalibrate my nervous system and teaching me new ways to cope. I couldn’t keep using substances for pain; I had no choice but to surrender. That faith-filled step brought an unexpected sense of safety, security, and abundance.
Recovery is hard work — sometimes harder than the addiction itself. It demands that you redirect every ounce of effort, time, and focus into becoming a better version of yourself. Its a beautiful journey if you’re willing to sit in the uncomfortable. In that space you will grow and become strong as the recovery process organically unfolds.
Being ready for different means being ready to change and to let go of what no longer serves you. When I shifted my gaze away from the things that used to tempt me and fixed my eyes on the Lord, those old things lost their hold. They ceased to be my focus and ceased to be an option.
I don’t even notice the triggers around me anymore — because I’m not looking for them. I’m looking for the One who made me, and that makes all the difference. Thank you, Lord, for your grace.
If you or someone you know is suffering from addiction, there is light in the darkness. Let my journey from addiction to sobriety be a beacon to return to life.
Love & Light,
Destiny
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