Going Out

Someone came to me and said that they, "had gone out."  "Gone out from where? I wondered.   It is a term used by people who get into twelve step recovery programs, steps, meetings, fellowship, and it helps them to not drink day by day.  He told me that he had stopped all those things.  He no longer went to meetings or worked the steps or helped anyone to stay sober.  "Why did you stop all that?" I asked.  His response got me to thinking.  He said that he was not drinking anymore, so he did not need all that "stuff."  Then one day he drank...a lot.  What I think, and see as a pattern in the lives of many of us, is that we think whatever we have becomes part of our DNA.  We don't lose it...and therefore we don't have to do anything to hold onto whatever good we have.  People get married, but don't work on their marriage  relationship.  They think "marriage" is part of their DNA now.  People say they have faith, but then do nothing to nurture it.  People have love and ignore the work required to keep the love burning.  We take so much for granted, such as health and all of the above examples. Everything that is good in our lives is going to pass unless we work on it...on a daily basis.  Walking once a month is not going to keep your health.  Having one date night a year with your partner won't nurture your love.  An absence of prayer will not nurture your faith.  None of these things can be taken for granted.  So if you have a relationship now with someone, and you value it, what are you going to do today to nurture it?