After 3 weeks of the road to town being totally closed due to horrendous damage from Tropical Storm Irene, the words "the road is open" were shared from neighbor to neighbor with great delight. Smiles and laughter replaced concerns and fears.
Driving into town for the first time since the flooding we are all staggered by the extent of the damage. Whole hillsides are washed away. A once delightful mountain brook is the width of a river-bare on both sides. The total geography of the river road has changed. The work that has been done to create a new road is nothing short of miraculous.
And once again I think of the comparison of the devastation of the flood to the devastation of addiction. Truly for some of us whole parts of our lives are washed away by the consequences of addiction. For some of us the devastation isn't quite so horrendous but the pain of the broken relationships and poor choices remain.
The miracle for all of us is "the road is open." The road to a new life has been built by God's love, God's forgiveness, and the work of many people to build that new road for us.
Do we take the time to acknowledge the devastation and consequences of our addiction--especially when the desire for the drink or the drug returns? Do we use the memory of that pain to make the recovery choices?
Do we thank God and the people who have built the new road for us?
Blessings-Penny
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