I used to love flying a kite! Seeing the majestic flight as it swirled through the sky with the tail I had so meticulously tied on it was satisfying and exciting. The wind took it where it wanted.

In life we can get caught up in being like that kite, swayed by the wind and kept on a string by our problems and addictions. I call it Chasing The Wind which is our continual search for more, to go higher, go farther to always be greater. That in itself controls us and keeps us proverbially chasing our tail as well. Round and round we go swirling as the wind blows.

A further definition of this is a task that is meaningless, void of purpose or virtue, a circular path leading to no particular destination. Truly that describes the life of an addict. We think we are headed one way and then we are swirled about by the cares and concerns of a world we have ignored though our fantasies. We escaped the reality of what is now, what is today, what is reality.

Solomon wrote about it, he said "While I was seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness". And then he said later "It was all so meaningless, like a chasing after the wind". We will never catch it because it catches us if we allow ourselves to be driven by the continual search for more money, more satisfaction, more pleasure, more of anything that drives us away from God.

Jesus talked several times about living water that represented his Spirit that would navigate us through life and satisfy our needs. Unfortunately the water we tend to drink is polluted by the chemicals of lust, addiction and greed to name a few. We can even flavor it with denial.

But in the end, God can turn around a meaningless, wind driven life into a meaningful direction of purpose that calms even the stiffest of winds. But whoever drinks this water I give him will never thirst.

He said it, I know it, believe it! 

He would come up to me after his HA meetings on Monday's to shake my hand and give me a hug. He was a joy to talk to and seemed well on his way to beating addiction. And then he was gone to an overdose.

That was Alfredo, and then there was Warren. We had watched the Dawgs together win a National Championship, he was dressed in the jersey of his favorite player and we laughed, cheered and shouted as they went on to victory. A week later he was gone, another overdose. He had a heart condition and was told another episode might kill him. He didn't listen.

Then there was Katie, an absolute beauty who was quiet, but seemed so kind. Another overdose and she was gone. In the Big Book of AA it speaks at how addiction is cunning and baffling. These are just three examples, and so many of you who read this have had personal tragedies as well that are similar.

In 2023 there were a reported 112,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. Let's put that in perspective for a moment. In the Revolutionary War about 6800 Americans died in combat, another 10,000 by disease from war related situations. In Korea 35K soldiers died, In Viet Nam 58K were killed and in Iraq 4,000 as well as 2500 in Afghanistan. In summation almost as many died by overdose in one year than in 5 Wars of many years.

We say war is hell, but how about this war we are fighting internally here in America now on addiction? And the drugs killing us are coming mostly in from other countries, so where is the real war? At ATB, other similar organizations as well as sober living facilities and 12 Step meeting places, we are all soldiers fighting to save lives in a war many want to keep silent about while other war protesters abound.

Be aware, teach your children, love on your spouses and friends to make connections that keep us accountable to each other and most importantly connect with the Lord who can dramatically save lives.

​This is a war we can win, but only with His help and guidance!

I am so thankful God chose to love all of us while we were "still sinners". Can you imagine how perfection anguished over some of the things we did? For me personally the early parts of my adult life were dominated by my selfish out of control desire to do more and more wrong.

Now that I am on the other side of it, that understanding of just how lost a person can be has helped me to love others so much better, including myself. But the challenge always remains to love those unlovable that only a God with unconditional love can understand. We try, but impatience can get in our way.

But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you , what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. Luke 6:32-36

It's tough to love those who hurt you, take advantage of you, who disrespect you, who seemingly disregard any level of manners or even our own children who turn their back on us. It is, but if we read the New Testament we see all these examples and how love may not always change them but it changes us drastically on the inside.

I read something this morning that compelled me to write this blog. In Luke 16:14 it says The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. I thought that even the incredible Jesus was mocked, hated and hung on a cross, but loved anyway. How should I be? I have been in the category of a pure sinner and a saved sinner, and I still have problems loving "everybody".

Only by humbling myself, looking at the example of Jesus and forgetting about the cares of my life that change my moods can I truly love the unlovable. Not an easy thing to do, but one he challenges us to master.

​