Hi friends, Vance Johnson here. Last week we discussed the second step of the 12-step program. This week we will continue the series onto the third step, “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” Let’s talk about what this step means and how to successfully navigate it.
Step three seems relatively similar to step two, but they have a lot of differences. Step two focuses on believing that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Step three is putting that belief into action. I have always believed in God, but that doesn’t mean I always let him lead the way.
Like most addicts, I rarely had an honest conversation with myself on what I was doing. I tried to avoid that part by staying high and drunk. But whenever I would have an honest conversation with myself, I would partially admit that I needed to regain control of my life. I thought I could do it on my own, but I was wrong.
My thought process was that I’d accomplished all my goals in the past, so how could my alcohol and drug addiction be different? I just needed to put my head down, focus, work hard, and I would succeed. Each day I would think, “Okay Vance, do not drink or use today,” but before the day was over, I used. Once, I got a few months into sobriety and thought, “Okay, now I can handle one drink, just one.” Before I knew it, I blacked out. It was not until I recognized that I needed help from God and let Him and many others help me that I finally achieved long-term sobriety.
While driving one day after yet another relapse, everything hit me. I remember thinking the only thing lower than me is the river that I wanted to drive my car into. I started to scream at God, begging him to help me. Day after day, I continued to pray to Him, and before I knew it, I had a name. Randy Grimes, former Buccaneers player, was an acquaintance of mine who I had previously had conversations about my drug and alcohol usage. But this time was different; this time I was ready for help. He connected me with the NFL Cares organization who found and paid for my rehab. Surrendering literally paved the way to my recovery.
Addiction Treatment Centers Make All the Difference
The Vance Johnson Recovery Center helps recovering addicts in Las Vegas, Nevada. By giving patients a place to focus on their drug and alcohol addictions, my team and I give each patient the tools for addiction recovery.
Would you like to discuss how our addiction treatment center in Las Vegas can help you? You can call our admissions specialists at 1-888-82-VANCE or fill out our online contact form. However you are ready to reach out for help, we will be ready to listen.
The post Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him appeared first on Vance Johnson Recovery Center.
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Original Author: Vance Johnson
