Month: November 2019

Grateful Heart Monday

Welcome to Grateful Heart Monday, a time for being thankful for someone or something in my life that has truly given me gratitude, which for today is for a server from an IHOP here in Toledo who provided me a wonderful blessing I really needed to hear.

I don’t go to IHOP all that often, and usually when I do it’s to get some of their harvest grain and nut pancakes, which are my favorite type of pancakes anywhere. Upon arriving there a few weeks ago, the server who sat us was super friendly and allowed my friend and I to sit in a room that technically was closed for the evening, but upon me asking for privacy, he allowed it. As I sat there looking over the menu, I noticed him occasionally staring at me. When I finally made eye contact, he asked if I had once worked for Rescue Crisis, which is a detox center here in Toledo. I told him that I’ve been volunteering there on Wednesday’s and run a 12 Step recovery meeting for addiction for the past four years. He then said, “I thought it was you and I want you to know that what you deeply affected me, so much so, that it was because of it I finally got sober and have remained that way ever since for 20 months now.”

After hearing that, I thought I was going to cry. So many times, I have told my story to those in addiction crisis, in jails and institutions and many other places too, but rarely have I ever gotten to see what happens to each of those recovery seeds after I’ve planted them. Most often actually, I get to see the same people coming back again and again with one relapse after another, never quite getting it. Yet this server totally got it…and it came through simply by sharing my experience, strength, and hope with him like I’ve done countless times over the life of my recovery work.

So, I am so thankful to God for bringing me this invaluable reminder that even when I see next to no results from my day to day recovery work and instead, more often than not, see one relapse and death after another, that indeed there is a seed I planted somewhere that has beautifully sprouted, all because of continuing to do this work one day at a time and leaving the rest up to God.

Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson

 

Thought For The Day

Quote #1

“When I ask God to direct my path, I have to accept the closed doors as His will too.” (Melissa Norris)

Quote #2

“When the door closes on you, it’s because life knows you deserve better…and if were really knew our worth, we would close the door ourselves.” (S.C. Lourie)

Quote #3

“When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.” (Alexander Graham Bell)

Bonus Quote

“Whenever a door has closed behind me, God has ALWAYS led me to a better place, a place I would never have gone had it not been for a ‘closed door’. Trust God. He simply longs to take you from good to better and from better to best. Every. Single. Time.” (Stacy L. Sanchez)

Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson

Daily Reflection

“Sometimes God makes better choices for us than we could have ever made for ourselves.” (Jennifer Hudson)

Many times I’ve sent messages to “friends” on Facebook from my local area whom I’ve thought seemed like pretty interesting people from the many things they’ve posted. I’ve often asked if they wanted to meet up for a coffee or dinner sometime, as I’m always looking to expand my circle of friendships. Plenty of times I’ve received responses they’d be down for that and would get back to me, yet just as often I never hear back from them again, even when I’ve attempted to reach out a few times.

I’ve gotten so frustrated when this has happened, with the lack of integrity of people not getting back to me, yet I realized quite recently that maybe God keeps doing for me what I can’t do for myself, which is keeping doors closed that don’t need to be opened, to people that maybe aren’t in alignment with my Highest Good and spiritual goals?

My partner has often told me that I’ve made far too many attempts to connect with people he has deemed as unhealthy for me and maybe he’s right. Which quite possibly is the very reason why God might be helping to keep doors closed to people I attempt to friend.

In the same breath, it also seems that God has made room for various doors to open to new friendships as well, as has been the case with two new individuals in recent months. Both have come to appreciate my quirkiness and intensity and both have helped to bring some humor back into my life, something I so desperately have needed and wanted.

In light of that, this is why I tend to believe that God probably has a lot more involvement in our lives when we let Him, as had been evident since asking God to not allow people to become a part of my life anymore if they’re only going to lead me away from my Highest Good.

Overall, to my ego it’s been quite humbling seeing more doors close or ones that never get opened, than seeing doors get opened. But to my Spirit, well, let’s just say I’ve been thankful for those God has allowed to enter my life, because they’ve truly blessed my spiritual journey thus far in a lot of ways, something I’m guessing wouldn’t have happened to many of the attempts I’ve made to start new friendships that never went anywhere.

Dear God, thank you for all the doors you helped to close that I attempted to keep open with friends, both new and old, that in the end probably wouldn’t have been for my Highest Good. And thank you for the few doors you have allowed to either open or remain open with friends, as each of those have truly blessed my life beyond measure.

Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson