Paul Email -8Dec2013- Sobriety and the Holidays

How you doin? Stacey and I skipped devotions this morning. I did want to share this article I sent in to the Herald. I'm not sure if it will be published or not, but I thought it was worth sharing.

I was talking with someone who experienced Thanksgiving sober for the first time in several years. She's been sober for 8 months and is approaching the Holiday season sober for the first time in a number of years. She called me the day after Thanksgiving to tell me that she "had a rough day on turkey day". This is not uncommon. Holidays are tough for the newly recovered or even the people with a few years under their belt.
   I shared my experience with the holiday season. I'm no expert, but I'm heading into my 9th holiday season and it doesn't even faze me. The first 3 or 4 holiday seasons it was painful. Take Thanksgiving for example. It was one of the only Thursday's of the year where other people were drinking in the afternoon with me. More then that, it was one of the few Thursday's of the year that loved ones and friends didn't ask me, "why on earth are you drinking like this on a Thursday?".

   Holidays tend to be the alcoholics friend. It can justify irregular drinking patterns. The non-alcoholic drinkers of the world tend to be a little less judgmental and more accepting to the alcoholic's drinking. So in my booze soaked mind, I thought fondly of the holidays. Right up until the end of my drinking career. I didn't even have the opportunity to enjoy the loosened standards of "regular society" because even in loosened standards I got too drunk. I stopped receiving invitations to dinners, parties or anything else that came with holiday celebration.

   So the first few years of my sobriety I took the advice of those who had some time sober and seemed to enjoy the holidays. They told me to remain thankful for my sobriety. They told me not to believe the lies that the Devil had filled my head with about the need to drink on the holidays. I was warned not to be a "great forgetter". Meaning not to forget how drinking resulted in terrible separation and loneliness, even during a time of the year that was conducive to loose drinking standards and celebration.

   Now, God has brought me full circle. I have loved the holiday season for the past 5 years. The redemptive power of Jesus has reconciled me to the true reason for the season. Not loosened standards, but the birth of my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. COME ON!!!!!!!

   I'm writing this article in an attempt to help the sober people out there that may be dreading the upcoming season. Be mindful of the fact that this time of year lends itself to relaxed drinking standards in the name of holiday season. It can also represent separation and loss. It can also represent the addicts complete redemption. "Jesus is the reason for the season", as many yard signs and bumper stickers say. Jesus is also the reason I'm sober today. Jesus reconciled me to my heavenly Father. His birthday is not a "rough time of the year". It's about His beauty and splendor or in other words... glory. Don't listen to the lies this world tells about the Christmas Season. Listen to the beautiful truth of heaven: your Savior is born. 

PS   Welcome back T.J.