Early in recovery, we attend a 12-Step meeting and are humbled as we hear others speak of their longtime sobriety – one, two, five, or even ten years. What we need to recognize is the need to celebrate early victories.
There is a biblical model for this.
In the Old Testament we read of the determination that led the Israelites to rebuild the Temple, their sacred place of worship. “When the builders completed the foundation of the Lord’s Temple, they clashed their cymbals to praise the Lord, just as King David had prescribed” (Ezra 3:10).
Did you catch that? They celebrated the completion of the foundation, not the Temple itself.
If you are new to recovery, your job is not to achieve the ten-year sobriety chip today, but the 24-hour chip, which is far more valuable.
You can’t complete the race if you don’t start it. In fact, with recovery, you never finish the race. But don’t let that stop you from starting.
Recovery Step: You can’t get well until you get started. Do that today. Start building a good foundation. Leave the rest for another day.
