Crown of Thorns

   That thorn was for thee, my daughter. Will ye not come unto me? I am here with my arms outstretched, waiting to heal thy pain. Why must ye hide from me? Let now thine eyes be opened, also, and remember that I am thy Lord and Savior, Redeemer of the world. I can heal thee. Must ye seek the dark escapes of the world to fix thy pain, when I am here waiting for thee? I promise that I will never leave thee in the hole that thou hast dug. Come, take up thy cross, follow me, and be ye healed.

   The words pierce through my soul as I wander from room to room, picture to picture. Over and over again I learn the truth of His love as I see His face in every corner of the Exhibit. A certain picture catches my eye, it did both times I went to see the Sacred Gifts Exhibit. Christ Mocked By a Soldier, meticulously painted by Carl Bloch, catches my eye, and I see the Savior as if He is looking into my heart. Will ye mock me also? Piercing my heart, that single thought is just enough. Just enough to remind me that I need to listen to His words, that He is there for me. Then comes the revelation, reminding me that my happiness lies with Him, not there in the dark escapes and deep chasms of Satan's territory. I"m grateful that my Lord still cares enough about me to send me the grace I have been searching for.

   Two weeks later, I sit here writing this post, and I find that recovery is so much better than not recovering. The sweet joy I feel from the Spirit guides me to do the things that will keep me safe. And every day I learn something new. Yesterday, for example, I remembered that truth is truth, no matter what. If it feels truth, then it is. But if it feels any other way than truth, such as negative or discouraging or just...not right, then it is not truth, it is the lies that Satan throws at us to try and bring us down. Satan does not want us to experience the happiness that we can find in Christ. Yet, God loves us! We are His children, and He will do all He can to help us return to Him, if we let Him and love Him in return!

   It's like diving, I have discovered. When we go diving, sometimes we can lose control of our form, or slip off the diving board, or fall flat on our faces in the water. But usually that doesn't deter us. Usually we get back up and try again. A bad dive is not the end of the world, and it usually does not have the power to defeat us. As we practice diving, and continue to get up and keep trying, then diving becomes easier and natural. Recovery works the same way. Often times we fall, we slip, or lose our balance. And that can hurt. That usually does hurt. However, we can get up again and keep trying. The Lord is there to help us do just that. We do not have to stay in the muck and grime. Eventually, recovery can become second nature and it does get easier. I would do well to remember that.

   Today is a good day, and I am happy and moving forward, and I have my Savior to thank for that. As I turn my life and will over to Him, I can become ever happier, and eventually find my way into His arms when my time comes. It's amazing to have recovery and the tools that can help us to recover as we strive to live the values we have learned and be the people our Father in Heaven created us to be.