Sunday, March 28, 2010

Sunbeams in my Living Room

Here I am, at home, at nine o'clock in the morning. There is sunshine streaming in my windows. Oh, it is glorious. It is going to be a warm spring day, which will serve to get rid of some of the 12" of snow we got last week. I am going to get out and run for the first time in 2 weeks - just as soon as I post this.

Last night my church was packed. People love to get their palms on Palm Sunday. I must admit, I do too. But of course, I love to go to church every other Sunday too.

There is a meeting I go to sometimes on Friday nights. In it there is a man who is always there. He has been sober maybe 30 years. Every week he shares. No matter the topic, he shares the same thing. It is his story. It is the story of how he came to AA and went to 89 meetings in 90 days. On the 90th day, he had to go out of town for business. He was in some town in the midwest and there was a lot of booze at this event. He decided to walk across the street to McDonald's instead of stay at the event with the booze. And I wait for the punch line..... but this is it. This is the whole story. Every week.

And then I pray. Please dear Lord, may I have more of a story than a walk across the street to McDonald's 30 years ago. I am sure this man surely has more of a story than this, I don't know why he doesn't share it, but he doesn't.

So, for today, my story is....I am grateful for another day of blessed sobriety, a good night's sleep, some beautiful sunshine, the ability to go outside and run, and a day off.

6 comments:

Syd said...

Maybe that is what is important to him also: That he didn't drink and hasn't since that day he walked across the street. It sounds simple but it must have been very hard. Sounds like humility to me.

Anonymous said...

Somehow God has seen fit to keep him sober all these years. Glad you are getting to run today.

Anonymous said...

Someone once said that "It's extraordinary how extraordinary ordinary people can be." I suspect that hearing that story has helped a lot of people still in their first 90 days of sobriety to find their own McDonald's. Glad you're having a good weekend!

Julianne said...

A moment of clarity, perhaps, that he never wants to forget?

I have one I keep re-telling. I'm grateful to be able to embrace that moment as Godsent.

Enjoy your sunbeams...

wendy said...

Your story made me laugh out loud. I was hoping for a punch line too. Last night we were at a meeting and people started bickering over how long other people were sharing and whether it is appropriate to cut people off. I bet your resident old timer never gets told to stop speaking since his share seems relatively short and to the point.

hope the run was good.

Unknown said...

I am with Syd. Simple and humble. Someone will hear their story in his. As I hope someone hears their story in mine..although mine is about as simple as a minefield..:-D

♥namaste♥