First Things First

 A monk is no closer to God than anyone else.  God is close to us all equally.  A monk simply puts God before all else.  A monk offers to God whatever he or she has at the moment.  A monk need not be a stranger to others, nor live in a desert, but God is always in the foreground, though seemingly invisible, intangible.  You might say that you are too busy with family, job, plans and agenda of one sort or another.  Well, so is the monk who often lives with many others in a monastery.  It is not the task, the daily agenda, but what you bring to it of yourself.  We can all do lots of things, tasks, but with the attitude that God is right here with us, in us.  A little early meditation and spiritual reading can help a lot.  And if you can, gather at some point with like-minded people.  "Recovery" is about putting first things first.