Psalm 30:11-12 (MSG) God, my God, I can't thank you enough

Psalm 30 (The Message)
A Psalm of David

^11-12You did it: you changed wild lament
    into whirling dance;
You ripped off my black mourning band
    and decked me with wildflowers.
I’m about to burst with song;
    I can’t keep quiet about you.
God, my God,
    I can’t thank you enough.

This verse is a fitting way to follow up from the transformation discussion of Psalm 29.  The psalmist here acknowledges the changes in his life.  What was once dark has been replaced with joy and beauty.  What was painful in the past, hurts no more.  No doubt this is similar to the joy and relief of several of the breakthroughs and milestones we experience during the recovery from addiction.

Some of these breakthroughs are small, and maybe noticeable only to the addict, while other are more significant and life changing.  Whether it's the presence of sobriety, which could only be measured in minutes or hours, is now measured in days and months.  Or the absence of a spaghetti mess of lies and cover-ups.  All of these breakthroughs in recovery are miracles regardless of magnitude.  For an addict that has tried so many times and failed.  Tried without the 12 steps, tried without an Addicts Anonymous group, and most of all tried without God, and failed.  For an addict that has tried on their own and failed so many times before these breakthroughs are miracles.  Yes, we are allowed to acknowledge these breakthroughs are miracles.  We are allowed to be grateful for these miracles.  I would even go so far as to say that we are encouraged to celebrate these miracles.

Dear Lord, you have brought so many miracles into my life.  Although I am still a work in progress, in many ways I am a different person than when I started this journey several years ago.  It is nothing short of a miracle.  My life is not devoid of pain, but You have equipped me to better handle burdens and suffering.  As a result I feel more joy and my relationships are more rich.    For all this I am beyond grateful, thank you.  The experience of transformation that you have brought into my life in the past has me excited by transformation that lies ahead.  Especially, as I begin this Lenten season of cleansing, sacrifice, and transformation.  With all this excitement I celebrate.  In this celebration though I also pray for the addicts that still suffer.  I pray that my celebration may bear witness to those addicts that still suffer to Thy power, Thy love & Thy way of life.  That I may be a beggar showing them where to get bread.  That my celebration would be a light to them that guides them and gives them hope for the recovery that awaits them.  All this I pray in Jesus' name - Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.

Psalm 29:9 (MSG): The pelting rain strips their branches

Psalm 29:9 (The Message)
A Psalm of David

⁹God's thunder sets the oak trees dancing
A wild dance whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches.
We fall to our knees - we call out, "Glory"!

Psalm 29, especially the Message translation, creates some powerful imagery about transformation.  A thunderstorm so powerful that the thunder shakes the mighty oaks, lightning smashes the solid cedars, and rain so heavy it actually rips the bark right off of the trees.  On initial inspection this might sound like a picture of ruin or possibly disaster.  Then we remember what transformation is...transformation is the act of sacrificing who I am today in order to become the person I am meant to be.

This psalm is, in many ways, a metaphor for the transformation we experience in recovery.  The painful process of pealing away of the facades that we created in our addiction.  The shaking of the very foundation of our beliefs and lives.  All this, as the last verse states, so God can make his people strong, and give his people peace.  The Angels cheer in the first verse, "Encore, Encore" not because they are mischievous, but because they know the beauty, and glory, that this transformation can bring.

Dear Lord, I am not perfect.  I am not even living close to my potential.  However, I have seen your transformative power in my recovery from addiction.  You have been able to help me remove the lies from my life and given me courage to do and say things I was not capable of before.  Still there is more work to be done and more transformation to work through.  I am ready for storms and tests of this transformation.  Please continue to bring the transformation to my life.  That I may leave the life of my addiction, all aspects of it, in the past...where it belongs.  That I may replace a life of addiction with a life serving as an instrument of your peace.  As I pray here I realize I am not alone in my struggle against addiction.  Opioid addiction is ravaging the lives of good people.  Be with the addicts that still suffer and the innocent people who love them.  Show them there that You have another plan for them.   A plan of transformation that will bring them out of their addiction stronger and better than before.  All this I pray in Your name - Amen.

Thanks for letting me share.