Gratitude:

I had a quick call with Pastor Glen the other day regarding the formation of Hope.  Towards the end of the conversation  Glen asked how he could pray for my wife and me; what were our current needs.  I responded by saying that we were all good with no current prayer needs.  I then went on to address how a few weeks back my son was watching ‘Aladdin’ where the genie grants (3) wishes.  I walked into another room stumped as to what I would ask for if I was granted (3) wishes; the conclusion I arrived at is that I would give back them back.  I have everything I need.

Getting into recovery was the greatest thing I have ever done.  Offered $1 million or the opportunity to go through all of this again, I would easily choose the latter.  Challenges faced have made me the person I am today.  My hope is that everyone reaches this point.  Jesus speaks to challenges as being opportunities and I could not agree more.  When suffering, it was difficult to ‘rejoice’ in the challenges before me.  Only after starting down the path towards recovery did I realize how lucky I was to have these challenges in my life.  Rather than blaming God, I should have been thanking him.

Therefore, every day I say the following to God: I thank him for my wife and son.  I thank him for everything he has done and continues to do in my life.  I thank him for the challenges (but admittedly ask him to tone them down sometimes) in my life.  I pray for the strength to do what is right.  I pray for the strength to battle my own internal demons.  I ask him to forgive my sins, which continually mount. And every day I ask God what it is I could do to best serve him.

Again, I have everything I need and am so thankful for it.