1 Nephi 2:18 -- The Lord Can Heal the Effects of Our Mistakes

 . . . and being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts. . .

Sometimes, we postpone rejoicing in our recovery, because we know that our own past hardness of heart toward the Lord contributed to other peoples’ hearts being wounded and hardened–kind of like a whole line of dominoes falling and knocking the next one down.  How do we ever undo all the long-range damage we’ve contributed to?  What if someone we’ve caused to harden their heart won’t allow us to make amends?  Sometimes, we have to let go and go on, trusting that there is no stubbornness (hardness of heart) so long or so intense that God can’t or won’t forgive it.

As we continue our new life, walking and counseling with Him, we will see our shortcomings turned to our benefit and the benefit of others as we act as "pioneers" and “scouts” for them.  Just as they chose in the past to follow us in paths that avoided the Lord, we can pray they will eventually follow our example of repenting and turning to the Lord.  In recovery, we must be willing to model a soft heart for them, so that they won’t have to travel as long without knowing God as we did.
   
It is never too late for any of us to begin again.  The old adage that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks," is based on a two serious fallacies (lies).  The first one is obvious: we aren’t dogs.  The second fallacy is a little more subtle. Turning to God and being in a close, personal relationship with Him God isn’t something new to our spiritual selves.  In recovery we are returning or recovering our eternal relationship with Him which we had before we came into mortality. We are never lost to our Heavenly Father or our Savior Jesus Christ, and neither is anyone else we might have stumbled into in our own blindness and foolish choices.  As long as we don't give up on Them or on ourselves, we can be have a perfect brightness of hope that someday the effects of all our mistakes will be healed. 

Prayer Thought: Lord, help me to let go of the fact that I’ve said and done things that have challenged others.  Help me to see the truth that Thou can not only soften my heart, but also the hearts of those I have challenged along the way.

© 2011 Colleen C. Harrison

1 Nephi 1:1 -- (yep, there's more!) “ . . . having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God . . ."

Coming to Know the Goodness of God

                                                                            

In the light of 12-step guided scripture study, I began to realize that in spite of all my outward professions of belief in God over my lifetime, I had serious doubts about His goodness.

           

As I have recovered a closer consciousness of God since coming into recovery, I have found that all my negative, rejecting doubts about God were the farthest thing from the truth about Him.  For me, all this negative thinking was definitely one of the “old ideas” the AA Big Book advises us to let go of “absolutely” (p. 58).

           

In place of this old image of God, I have opened my heart and mind to the truth that God is actually benevolent and caring about all of creation–and especially about His own children–and that includes me.  

In recovery, I have come to know that in all the afflictions and trials, in all the mistakes made against me as well as the mistakes I have made,  I have actually been experiencing God’s goodness, in allowing me to come to earth, to learn by my own experience with sin (what it means to be separated from Him.)  I have come to (awakened) and have come to realize that I wasn’t cast out heaven, as the Liar, Satan would like me to think of myself.  No!  I was sent out from my heavenly home to this earth with a definite purpose.  

For me, the fall was a leap of faith–my faith in Christ who promised to redeem me.  I was sent out to learn by my own experience “good” from “evil.”  In other words, to learn what works to bring peace and happiness, harmony with the universe, and what doesn’t.  Sending me out.  Bringing me Home.  It’s all good, as hard (mysterious) as that may be to believe.  This awakening to my life--imperfect as it has been--as a good thing, has amounted to a mighty change in my heart towards God.  It was my version of the process that AA members often call “firing our old God.”   In my case I didn’t need to fire my “old God.”  I just needed to fire my resentment and resistence to God and to life on His terms. 

           

Prayerful Thought: Lord, help me see that God is good and that my life has been, is and will continue to be good–if I will just allow Thee to show me the mystery and wonder of it all.