By Lizzydenkers
Come to believe that the power of God can restore you to complete spiritual health.
The first LDS addiction recovery meeting Brian and I attended together was on step 2, HOPE. It honestly was a make or break point for me and Bri's marriage. We were at the lowest of lows and literally had no where to turn. I asked him to go with me to the meeting and it was an answer to both of our prayers that it was on step 2. There is a part of the reading that says when we first attend the meetings we looked around at others laughing and talking and wondered how we would ever get to that place in our lives again. It was true we both sat there hopeless and broken. After the meeting we were filled with the love of our Heavenly Father and saw the grace of our Savior touching our lives. This was a huge tender mercy and sometimes recovery comes quickly and sometimes it comes slowly but all I know is that it was the first step to a quick recovery for us. Last night the meeting we attended was on step 2 and when Bri shared I cried and my heart was bursting for my love for him. He shared about how quickly we were able to lean on each other and turn to the Lord for peace and comfort in such a difficult time. He also said how he is so grateful that we are able to laugh and talk with others in recovery now and it is all because of those meetings and our ability at that time to turn to the Lord and ask for His guidance. I'll be forever grateful for this program and for the Book of Mormon for promping us to always to turn to our loving Heavenly Father to return peace and spiritual health back to our lives.
One huge part of hope for me was mentioned by a man last night saying that a lot of his hope came from his spouse supporting him through his recovery. That hit me like a ton of bricks and I was so grateful he said that because it helped me realize how much that has helped me have faith to preserve through the hardest time of my life. Without Brian's love and support I wouldn't have been able to reach the spirituality, hope, and faith I have now. He has such a strong testimony and isn't afraid to share it and has also been instrumental in helping me strengthen mine. He has cried with me, prayed with me, studied with me, and just allowed me to change myself, all the while loving me unconditionally.
This step 2 has a special place in my heart because it was the turning point for me and Brian to let go of fear and doubt of the future and regret and guilt from the past and realize what we have is now, and that we wanted nothing else but our eternal family and we will forever fight for us
"One of the great myths in life is when men think they are invincible. Too many think that they are men of steel, strong enough to withstand any temptation."
— James E. Faust
General Conference, April 2002