Dark Times

 Alcoholics are never cured.  They have a daily reprieve based upon a level of spiritual awareness and practice.  As mere human and imperfect beings, with the flaws of the human condition, they will have dark times in their spiritual practice.  They may try to help someone who does respond in a healthy way.  They may find prayer at times nothing but darkness and emptiness, feeling abandoned by their Higher Power.  Some meetings will be beyond boring.  But they do not drink.  Darkness is part of life.  It comes and goes.  Christians have dark nights in their prayer life too.  Nothing and no one seems to be there.  All emptiness.  Abandoned.  But this is not bad.  Their God died on a cross, abandoned, lonely, darkness covering the whole earth.  We all surrender to these times.  The dark night prayer times tie Christians to the cross of Christ.  It does not mean we are abandoned, alone, forgotten, or a spiritual failure.  We are all trudging the road at times, but happier destinies are ahead for those who stay the effort.  Don’t give up.