This morning I’m raising my mug to being 5 years alcohol free!
I stopped drinking not because I drank too much but because when I was diagnosed with ACC & learned a primary recurrence site is the liver I thought, “I may as well do what I can to keep my liver healthy.”
Over the past 5 years, with only a mug of tea in my hand, I have walked with cancer, lost my palate, lost a loved one, have dealt with anxiety and scanxiety. I have walked beside friends going through challenging times, have been dealing with this pandemic, along with all the other challenges life throws at you at home as a wife & a mom of three. Plus at work I’ve being rejected by multiple literary agents & recently started a new job outside the home & am juggling the home/ work responsibilities.
I am sharing this not to be prideful but to let others know that yes, life is hard, but a drink isn’t needed to help us through.
The three words on this mug have been my saving grace through life’s challenges. Yes, drinking tastes good & is fun, yet I know for me I don’t miss the night sweats from a glass of wine, feeling crappy the next morning, or regretting something I said after having a drink.
I’ll admit, practicing these three words consistently isn’t easy. Yet they are my go to as they have helped me move my mind from quick sand to solid ground over & over & over again.
So if you have ever considered drinking less or stopping drinking, I invite you to join me today to…
pause. breathe. pray.
May we celebrate this life we have this morning. The breath in our lungs, the sun shining, and the warm home we are sitting in. May we come to terms that in life we will have struggles, but may we take heart that God is more powerful than a drink to help us through. All we have to do is invite Him into the challenging times with us. I wouldn’t say this if I hadn’t experienced it myself but He is enough to help calm the storm within us & lead us to a more peaceful place.
With love & hope,
Shawn
(originally posts 1/23/22)
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. - John 16:33