A man bought a talking monkey from the pet shop. That night he took the monkey to a local bar and bet everyone $10 that his monkey could talk. But the monkey never spoke a word.
When he got home, the monkey chattered up a storm. So the next day, the man took the monkey back to the bar and bet everyone $20 that he could talk. Again, the monkey was silent, costing the man hundreds of dollars in lost bets.
When he got home that night, the man was furious. “I’m taking you back to the pet store!” he told the monkey.
“Chill out!” replied the monkey. “Take me back to the bar tomorrow. Just think of the odds we’ll get!”
Here’s the lesson: Yesterday’s loss is no guarantee of tomorrow’s outcome.
Recovery Step: “There is no fear in love” (1 John 4:18). Turn the page on yesterday’s losses. Tomorrow is a new day.
Author: Mark Denison
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.
