I SELF ME | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: I SELF ME | Previous Challenge Entry
By Art Fahy
05/21/26
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES

I SELF ME
There are two things I hate in this world. They are liars and thieves. I was both. The claws of alcohol had me in its grip. I had the ISM.

Alcohol was my God. It was my security once in my body it made me bigger, stronger and faster.

I lived in fear. I feared I was not good enough. I feared making a mistake because that would make me look less than. I thought I always had to have the answer. I tried to control people and circumstances. I learned what I tried to control controlled me. I put all my energy into controlling. It only made me miserable along with whom I tried to control. I never did anything for a friend without expecting payback. You owe me was my attitude.

I finally faced the truth. I had a drinking problem. I wasn’t sure if I was an alcoholic. To me, alcoholics were men who wore long coats, raggy clothes, were unkept and a bottle of liquor wrapped in a brown paper bag shoved in their pocket. They were people who lost jobs, family, friends, homes, and money. I still had all of these.

My friend, Gary, brought me to my first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Walking into the room, he said to me, “Identify with the similarities.” Laughter filled the room. Two men introduced themselves to me. After the meeting Gary introduced me to a couple of men. We went out for coffee and talked for about an hour. I felt comfortable with these guys. Listening to what I heard in the meeting, and talking with these men a door opened in my mind.

I was not alone in my feelings. What I did was wrong while drinking. It was how I felt and what motivated me. The first step was to admit I were powerless over alcohol and my life was unmanageable.

I discovered when I took that first drink; I had to have more. I was powerless to stop. Out at a bar, as the night wore on money flew out of my wallet. I was a good time, Charlie. I had no regard for what time it was or how much money I spent. When I opened the bar door to go home the morning light blinded me. I asked myself where did the time go? I felt lucky, because I wouldn’t have to face my wife, because she was at work and the kids were in school.

During work all I thought about was a drink. I had such a craving for it. I could not wait until quitting time. After work straight to the bar. No regard for wife, kids, time, or money. I needed that drink, and I needed it now.

I returned to that meeting and before I knew it, I had thirty days without a drink. The group gave me the book Alcoholic Anonymous nicknamed The Big Book. Gary became my sponsor. A sponsor is someone who you trust and can confide in with your deepest darks secrets.

Three months into the program, I started to attend church with my wife and children. After two months attending church, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I joined the men’s bible study and attended as much as I could due to work hours. After six months my work hours changed. I was transferred to day shift and had my evenings off to attend AA meetings and be with my family.

There is a saying in AA bring the body and the mind will follow. That was so true for me. The more involved with AA things were different. Gary assured me that it was me that was changing. I worked the 12 steps of AA. I found that every step comes from God's Word.

Today, when people asked me a question on a certain subject, I no longer fear telling them, “I don’t know but, I know someone who does.” That humility became my strength. My relationship with my wife improved, and my children no longer feared me. I found myself looking to help people without being asked and expecting nothing in return.
Surrendering all to the Lord is an ongoing process for me. I repeat the mantra; I can’t God can and I will let Him.

PREVIOUS ENTRY | NEXT ENTRY
SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY FOR THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.