Change of Direction | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: Change of Direction | Previous Challenge Entry
By Art Fahy
10/12/23
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES

It was a Saturday afternoon, and I was making a deacon call at a local hospital. I was alone in the elevator. My mind drifted back ten years to another Saturday afternoon. I sat in a bar, drinking my favorite brew. Little did I know within a few hours I would drive my vehicle into a building and end up in jail. One more time, I would be dressed in humiliation, when my wife and children would come down and bail me out.

Alcohol had its claws dug deep in me and I was blind to see it. I was a very selfish and self-centered person during those drinking days. I put family and friends secondary to a drink. Alcohol was my god. I promised my son, numerous times, I would be at his little league game and never show up. It was more important that I drank.

Fear ran through every fiber of my being. In reality, I was an egomaniac with an inferiority complex. My wife pleaded with me to stop drinking. It was ruining our relationship and family. I never took heed to her words.

Hollow promises it would never happen again followed every drunk. The next time out the promise was broken. The night I ran my car into that building my life changed. This time I made no promises. That night I got on my knees and prayed to God to help me. Until that point my relationship with God was on an as needed basis.

The next day I attended a men’s stag meeting in a small room set off from the bowling alley. I stood at the doorway, and one of the men in the room looked up and said, “you’re in the right place come on in.” I entered the the room and sat next to him. He extended his hand and told me his name was Fred. I introduced myself.
“Is this your first meeting?” He asked.
I nodded.
“Welcome.”
Someone tapped a glass with a metal spoon and the talking ceased. The man introduced himself and opened the meeting with the Serenity Prayer. He asked if there were any newcomers and he looked straight at me. “May we have your first name please?” My name is Art. Everyone said, “welcome.”

The topic was on gratitude. I wasn’t feeling very grateful, but I noticed the tension in my body was decreasing. After the meeting, a couple of the men came up to me and introduced themselves. They told me to keep coming back. I either nodded or I said I will.

I returned to the meeting the next day. Laughter filled the room. One of the men, I remember from the day before shouted out, “Hey look Art came back.” That brought a round of laughter. I felt I belonged. The more meetings I attended the better I felt. I hadn’t had a drink in more than 30 days.

I began to attend church. I felt good not only about not drinking, but about myself. That week I visited my pastor. We talked about what Jesus did for me and why. By the time I left his office, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

I would love to tell you everything has been perfect since that moment. It hasn’t. Like everyone else, I face adversity on a daily basis. Some of this diversity is big and some is small. But the old self is gone, and the new self became alive that day I accepted Jesus. When I face adversity, I remember what Paul wrote in two Corinthians 12:9 when the Lord said to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

The night I crashed my car into that building I thought it was the worst night of my life. In reality, God used it for good. With the help of God, AA and the fellowship of AA I changed the direction of my life. It was the beginning of my journey of growing in Christ. I stepped off the elevator with more gratitude than when I entered.

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.