Spotlight on the 12 Steps, Steps 4-6
By Chaplain John Strecker-Baseler, M.Div
Drug Addiction Treatment:
I am a full time parish pastor in McCook, Nebraska
and a part time Chaplain at
Valley Hope in Norton, Kansas and I live in a another town altogether
(Oberlin, KS). Needless to say I am on the road a
lot. I have much windshield time. When I have
patients assigned to me, I have been known to drive
to Norton and see my patients, drive up to McCook
for drug addiction treatment meetings
and visits and then back home all in
one long day--and 130 miles later.
In my 17-years of ministry, I’ve come to
appreciate and have enjoyed the use of illustrations
to communicate in sermons, as well as working with
patients on their step work. Driving on the road a
lot it is inevitable that “stuff happens” on the
windshield. The more miles driven, or the longer
one is on the road of life, the more “stuff happens”
on your windshield. Now, the more bugs and bird
stuff that splatter on the windshield I equate with
the stuff that happens in life that brings about regret,
shame and guilt. Fortunately, most cars are equipped
with fluid that can be easily accessed by the flip of a
switch and the wiper blades can wipe clean your
windshield as you motor on. Imagine if you never
utilized that fluid and wiper blade and the “stuff ”
splattered on your windshield began to accumulate
until it became difficult to see straight at all! If we
played out this illustration, we would understand
eventually we would have to do something about the
“stuff ” on the windshield or we would put ourselves
in a serious risk of wrecking our “road of life” vehicle.
When patients come to
Valley Hope
they have been through rough times. Their powerlessness and
unmanageable lives have brought them to the bottom.
Reaching out for help, they seek
drug addiction treatment
and come to Valley Hope. They learn in the
first three steps
they are powerless, they cannot, but God can, and
begin to allow God to lead them in a new journey in
life called recovery. The next step, Step 4, is the
beginning of a series of steps that fit together in the
spiritual program.
Steps 4-7
have everything to do
with a spiritual remedy for regrets, guilt, and shame,
the “stuff ” that wants to rob us of clear sight on the
road of life. The spiritual remedy is FORGIVENESS.
There is freedom in receiving the forgiveness we need
for those relapse triggers, regret, guilt and shame that
want to hold us back and keep us in the life of
drug addiction.
It is good to know this switch is available to flip on
the fluid and wiper blade for the road of life in recovery.
Making “searching and fearless moral inventory of our
lives” (Step 4) prepares us to turn over those obstacles
that would hold us back from freedom of a quality
life, a clean windshield on the road of life. It is
important to remember while sharing this inventory
(Step 5), the information is held in strict confidence.
Sharing this with someone trained in understanding
the significance of forgiveness, a chaplain or pastor, is
important and preferable. Often times when “we admit
to God, ourselves, and another human being the exact
nature of our wrongs” a great sense of relief washes
over us. When we remove the “stuff ” from our
windshields, where we are going in life can become
clearer.
For those who find it difficult to forgive themselves,
Steps Six and Seven are for you. I believe God is a
perfect loving parent, who gives you life and loves
you and hopes you will love in return. You have
freedom of choice. God will not force you to love. In
Step Six we see your freedom of choice is honored.
You can hold on to your guilt if you want to, of course
who would want to know what freedom and relief
come from letting go of guilt, yet sometimes we kick
ourselves needlessly. In Step Six the spiritual challenge
is for you to get yourself “entirely ready” so God can
remove the guilt. God will remove it if you ask (Step
Seven). The wonderful blessings are deep for all who
work these steps. Forgiveness can be a choice that is
selected, if we set in motion the wiper blades, dig deep
and write out our inventories and share and give it
all away. Freedom from guilt and shame are possible
when we are truly working these steps. You will get
as much out of these steps as you put into them. God
bless you in this endeavor.
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