Almost anything you can do, some type of animal can do better. Owls hear better. Eagles see better. Kangaroos jump better. Cheetahs run better. Cats fall better. Dogs smell better.
God deserves all the credit. He said, “I commanded the earth to give life to all kinds of animals” (Genesis 1:24).
So here’s my suggestion, if you want to take your recovery to the next level.
Get a pet.
I have owned two turtles, two parakeets, five dogs, and one cat (to the degree that you can own a cat). Each pet filled a need. George Eliot understood this when he said, “Animals are such agreeable friends; they ask no questions and they pass no judgment.”
Here are just a few benefits pets have for our recovery:
Companionship
Activity
Responsibility
Exercise
Sense of purpose
Recovery Step: For the sake of your sobriety, get a pet.
Mark and Beth Denison, married for 36 years, launched There’s Still Hope as a national movement to call men and women into lives of sexual integrity. Their ministry offers 90-day recovery plans for addicts and one-on-one and group coaching for addicts and their spouses. TSH also produces resources for pastors and churches to confront the porn epidemic that is destroying so many lives.
Dr. Denison was a senior pastor for over 30 years, NBA chaplain, and board chairman at Houston Baptist University three times. With a Master’s Degree in Addiction Recovery, Mark is a certified PSAP and active member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.
Mark has written four books on recovery: Porn in the Pew, 365 Days to Sexual Integrity, A 90-Day Recovery Guide, and 40 Days to Porn-Free Living. His latest book, Jesus on the 12 Steps, will be released later this year.
