Al McGuire once mused, “The only mystery of life is why the kamikaze pilots wore helmets.”
There are other great mysteries of life. For example, why do cows always face north or south while eating? Why does lemonade have artificial flavoring, but furniture polish contains real lemon juice? Why do we believe someone when they say there are one billion stars in our galaxy but we don’t believe them when they say the wall has wet paint? Why do “fat chance” and “slim chance” mean the same thing? If you can be unruly or impeccable, why can’t you also be ruly and peccable? If a convenience store is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why does it have locks on the door? Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii? Why does quicksand work slowly? Why do they sterilize needles for lethal injections? What’s the difference between a “free gift” and a “gift”? Why isn’t phonetic spelled the way it sounds? Why is the word “abbreviate” so long? Where do forest rangers go to get away from it all?
Here’s another one. Why do people still act out when they know the damage it will cause?
Paul said, “We see through a glass darkly” (1 Corinthians 13:12). That means there are some things that won’t be cleared up this side of eternity.
But let’s try to wipe the fog off the glass, anyway. We act out when we know the damage it will cause because we are addicts. The answer? Quit focusing so much on the behavior and focus a little more on how you got here. Deal with things like isolation, trauma, and abuse.
Recovery Step: There will always be things in this life that don’t really make sense. So let’s end with something that does make sense. Commit yourself to a recovery program – every day for the rest of your life.
