This Sunday I will attend a service to honor the memory of my brother Bobby. My brother died an active alcoholic. He never acknowledged he had a problem. Ever. He was self will run riot. Four years before he died he lived with my sister who put him up for 8 years. Unwilling to stop drinking and live a “normal life” my sister told him to leave. He was not impaired physically or mentally only spiritually.
Doing things his own way (no one else’s) he pitched a tent in the woods of Washington State and lived a simple life until his alcoholism became very real in the form of throat cancer which took his life at the age at the young age of 49. He waited too long to ask for help, by the time he made it to a doctor (again with the help of my sister) he survived less than six months despite surgery. He didn’t have to die this way.
I tried to tell him THERE IS A SOLUTION. Once we get sober we want to tell others especially those we love. There IS a solution, you don’t have to live this way anymore. You don’t have to stay broken or feel damaged or self-medicate to numb yourself and stop your demons and booze from slowing killing you.
I was killing myself one drink at a time, until I found out there WAS a solution. My brother had every chance that every alcoholic (who hears this message) has, they just have to be willing to stop doing things their own way. Days before he died I remember my sponsor telling me “That Bobby dying may just be God’s plan for him.” Was that true? I don't know.
What I do know is: we all have a choice. We can either accept God’s plan for us and trust that our heavenly father knows far better for us than we ever do. Sometimes I struggle with that until I stop reflect and remember that my way was killing me one drink at a time. I never want to go back there. Nothing but self destruction and death was waiting for me. I know God has a plan for me and I’m determined to stick around one day a time to see exactly what that is.
Not my will, Lord but thy will be done.
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