Well it’s the start of yet another new year, 2016, and I have to honestly say that time really does seem to fly the older I get. Now that 2015 has come and gone, I look back upon it with both frustration and gratitude. So how can that be possible? It’s quite simple actually.
The frustration is that I watched all of my dreams and aspirations remain sidelined due to all the mental, emotional, and physical issues I faced throughout the entire year. But yet as I say that in one breath, I can say in another I’ve also learned on my spiritual journey that even in the worst of frustrations I may ever experience in life like I did this past year, that gratitude can always be found. And in this case, I’m able to find that very thing in the fact that I stayed clean and sober from each of my former addictions and was more than vigilant on doing my best to serve the will of my Higher Power during 2015. That’s a far cry from plenty of former years where I tried to be my own Higher Power and couldn’t go a single day without living in some type of addiction.
And while it’s difficult to grasp why my Higher Power has had me go through so much trials and tribulations for so long, I still remain hopeful as I enter 2016, that this year will bring forth much greater peace, love, light, and joy from within me. I must say though that sometimes it’s quite hard to keep telling myself this, given how many years have already passed with me waiting for my health to return. Yet, even here I have much gratitude because I know there are plenty of people out there who have suffered far greater than I, for far longer of a time.
So as we all begin a new year together, I want each of you to know how truly grateful I am for all the prayers you have sent my way and for all the strength and guidance God has in turn gave me to keep on keeping on thus far. And while I may not know exactly where my ship is heading in 2016, I do know that as long as I keep on adjusting my sails to the wind that God continues to blow my way, I will be ok…
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson