Don’t Leave Before Your Miracles!
We all crave words of life that impart hope and inspiration.
Throughout his three-year ministry, people flocked after Jesus, pressing in constantly upon him. They wanted the healing of his physical touch, but also the teachings that flowed from his lips like a fountain of grace. No wonder Matthew says “the crowds were amazed.” This was especially true for the poor and disenfranchised. Never before had they glimpsed the heart of God like this. Never before had they understood their preciousness in the eyes of their Creator.
Words of life; sometimes we encounter them in unlikely places.
When I finally walked through the doors of my first AA meeting, I was battered and beaten, washed ashore by a toxic tsunami of liquor. My disease had certainly caused what the Big Book of AA calls an incomprehensible demoralization (except to other alcoholics and addicts).
I sat down quietly, embarrassed by my condition, sinking into myself to become less conspicuous. I avoided direct eye contact, but quickly got that sense of someone studying me. I turned to find an older man sitting nearby. He smiled so warmly that my self-consciousness subsided. I nodded; he winked at me knowingly, like an Oracle who could foresee my fate.
I don’t remember the content of that day’s discussion, only the certainty that I had entered a fellowship that spoke my garbled and foreign language. Before we stood to close with the Lord’s Prayer, the Oracle read “the promises of AA.” Here they are:
We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. The feeling of uselessness and self-pity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations that used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.
It’s difficult to describe my feelings when I first heard these words. Imagine standing in a sun-scorched desert, lips cracked, skin burnt, thirst like a blood-sucking alien, barely enough life to take another step. And there in the distance shimmers the water of an azure lake. It must be a mirage! You shake your head and shut your eyes, opening them to find the cool vision remains. But how will you reach it? The distance is insurmountable and you are near death.
I must have been sitting with my mouth wide open. I felt the older man slip his hand into mine and gently urge me into the circle that solemnizes every 12 Step meeting. Afterwards we introduced ourselves and he gave me his phone number. I was still uncomfortable, my eyes straying to the door and the hope of a quick exit.
“Krin,” he said. “Come back. Then stay. Don’t leave before your miracles!”
Don’t leave before your miracles.
Recovery has been a tough process. Putting the cork in the bottle is only a first step. Dealing with life on life’s terms means humility, self-awareness, acceptance, spiritual discipline, and the healing of scarred relationships. There were moments I felt I couldn’t continue. But in those wallows of discouragement, I heard these words of life echo through one 12 Step room after another: don’t leave before your miracles!
It’s more than an easy slogan. I have seen the promises take root and flourish in the lives of people at all stages of recovery. Each time, I praise God for the Divine and inexhaustible well of healing.
I have a message of hope for you today, especially if you are a follower of Jesus. Some of his promises shine with a distant hope.
- If you lose yourself on my behalf, you find your true self. (Matthew 16:25)
- I have spoken to you so that your joy will be complete. (John 15:11)
- I give you peace that transcends the peace of this world. (John 14:27)
- Even though you grieve, you will be comforted (Matthew 5:4).
- With me your spirit will never be thirsty or hungry again. (John 7:35)
- Walk alongside me and you will never walk in darkness. (John 8:12)
- Fear not; I am with you always (Matthew 28:20).
- Don’t worry for a moment; your Heavenly Father will give you everything you need exactly when you need it. (Matthew 6:30)
Are these promises extravagant? I think not. I believe them not only because I trust the Lord, but because—after 23 years of ministry—I have seen them incarnate in the lives of countless people. They are coming true in my own life even as I write these words.
Believe me: if you are committed to your discipleship in Christ, if you are serious about practicing his radical teachings, these promises will materialize in your life as well.
So, what trials are you facing today?
- Are you in a troubled relationship, wondering if there is hope for healing?
- Are you lonely, longing for meaningful companionship?
- Are you suffering unemployment or financial hardship?
- Are you struggling with an illness?
- Are you grieving the loss of a loved one?
- Are you confused about your vocation or purpose in life?
- Are you full of regrets, pondering the failures of your past?
- Are you stinging from the treatment of others?
Whatever your dilemma, I plead with you: hold fast to Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit living within you. And most of all…
DON’T LEAVE BEFORE YOUR MIRACLES!