Helpful Analogies: The Journey

One of the easiest way for me to learn is through parables and analogies.  I love reading the New Testament because this was often the method that the Savior used to teach his followers.  I will often come home from my weekly group and share any cool analogies I heard with Sidreis.  Because this has been such a great way for me to learn I decided to start sharing them here.  One, in hopes that they might help someone else, and two, so I have a handy list to refer to of all my favorites.

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The Journey

 This analogy was shared with me by the lead Missionary in the PASG program in our area a few years back.  I have heard it from others as well but I will never forget the night he shared it with me.  I had been struggling to complete step 4 for quite some time.  I had even totally scrapped it at one point and started over.  He pulled me aside one night and said they were considering making me a facilitator and asked my thoughts about it.  I explained that I didn't think I was ready because I was struggling to complete step 4.  He asked why and I poured out my struggles to him.  He smiled and patted me on the back and then asked me a strange question.  "Tim, have you ever been to the Marriott Center on BYU Campus?"  I was confused but replied that I had.  He then asked me another question.  "If you were around the corner from the Marriott Center and you accidentally took a wrong turn.  Would you turn around and correct your course, or would you drive back home and start over?"  The answer seemed so obvious that I didn't answer right away.  He then explained that recovery worked the same way.  Whether it is a slip, relapse or simply struggling to complete a step.  We all take wrong turns.  It is part of the process, but taking a wrong turn doesn't negate the progress you have made.  It doesn't mean you have to go back to the starting line.  Yes, course corrections are often in order and it takes work, effort and relying on the Lord to get back on course, but I do not have to start over at the beginning.

Recovery IS a journey and there are many twists, turns and pitfalls along the way.  I make wrong turns, I run out of gas and sometimes I just want to climb in the backseat of the car and take a nap.  Fortunately, I have the most amazing road trip buddy around in my Savior and an amazing pit crew of friends and family to help push my car back onto the course when I stray.