Looking Back on Our Alcoholic Life Tape

I turn back my “alcoholic life tape” often because it helps me to help others. I don’t particularly enjoy reliving my alcoholic days but I know that I am now a new person in God, who saved me from the clutches of addiction fifteen-years ago. Sometimes I wish that I would have known then what I know now about alcoholism – it would have saved me a few headaches along the way. But I believe it was not in God’s plans for me to know then what I know now, because if it had been, I would not have had the chance to endure and overcome my addiction through him in the way that I did. Everything would have been different.

When we look back on our “alcoholic life tape” we are replaying over and over a recording of our life and what pitfalls and troubles we endured while trapped within the depths of our addictions. We can stop the recording whenever we want but if we stop the recording how would we be helping and encouraging others who are trapped within their own addictions or that are newly sober? We need to replay our tape over and over again simply if not to just encourage others.

I struggled with alcoholism and feelings of resentment for several years before I finally conquered my addiction and heavy laden emotions. I can pretty much say for a fact that God wants us to struggle through our diversities so we will learn and become stronger people because of our afflictions in life? Quick fixes in life such as getting a divorce rather than working on our marriage problems, or having the attitude “I wish I would have known then what I know now” does not make us stronger people nor help us to learn and grow through our mistakes. I think God wants us to seek Him and learn from our past and overcome any and all obstacles that get in our path and become better people because of our diversities so we can help others.

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.

(Lamentations 3:25)