When I first got sober this phrase, “By any means necessary” became my mantra. What was I willing to do to stay sober? I was not going to go back to that way of life with alcohol. So, I did what others before me did. I listened to those in the meeting rooms and my sponsor. I worked through the 12-steps. I did what was required to retrain my brain to live sober—by any means necessary.
I was thinking back on the Pandemic and how terrible that was for alcoholics and addicts. Stay secluded and isolated. Don’t be with anybody—the things most dangerous for addiction to flourish. We need connection—to be with each other, talk and stay out of isolation (isolation—where we could hide and drink and use)
I did not like Zoom. But it saved us during the shutdown. We were able to have meetings online for a time. Not the same as in person. People could show up on screen and still be drinking. So easy. How would we know? I had serious doubts about people staying sober through this. Even more serious doubt about anybody getting sober for the first time. During that time, Zoom meetings became “any means necessary” not ideal, but all we had.
Later that summer 2020 during the pandemic, the CZU fires broke out in Santa Cruz County. Friends (a couple) came to live with us for a 11 days while they were evacuated from Mount Hermon. He was a pastor, and at that time, was leading that MH Christian Conference Center. While they were here, after dinner we would listen to the fire update all together upstairs, then I would go down to my office where I would lead a Zoom AA meeting for our church online for an hour each night. On my way down the stairs, our pastor friend would call out to me, “Give 'em Heaven, Heidi!”
I loved that so much. It reminded me that this was my purpose, to carry God’s message to those who still suffer. I was blessed by that man encouraging me to shine through the difficult times.
And, so I did.
Just as God is in the rooms of live meetings today as we are reconnected, God permeated the Zoom meetings of AA while it was our only means of connection. I tried to be the light and bring my knowledge of how to stay sober and pray with them and point them to God.
Shortly after that, during the shutdown, our church allowed us to meet in the church back parking lot outside to hold our recovery meetings in person. Another blessing. Wrapped in our blankets in beach chairs at night in that parking lot, not seeing each other in the dark—but knowing we were there together to support each other. We shared our recovery with those who did not know how to do this recovery thing. We did it—by any means necessary.
We got through that with the help of others and God. It reminds us that we can…
Stay sober no matter what.
Know God is with us in hard times
Do all it takes—
By any means necessary.
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
Hebrews 12:11
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