July 11: A Saturday With Nothing Planned

It’s Saturday. Nothing on the calendar. For years that meant one thing. What does it mean now?

Empty time is dangerous early in recovery. The drinking filled the hours. Now the hours are just sitting there, and they can feel loud. Boredom has a way of turning into restlessness, and restlessness has a way of turning into a craving.

David says God will show him the path of life. In His presence is fullness of joy. Not a little joy squeezed in between the hard parts. Fullness. That’s a big promise for a quiet Saturday.

Humility helps here in a surprising way. Pride says, “I’m an adult, I don’t need a plan for a Saturday.” Humility says, “I know how I am, and I’ll plan for it.” There’s nothing childish about making a list for your day off. It’s wisdom.

Here’s a simple way to fill the day. Something for your body. A walk, a bike ride, yard work, a swim. Something for your soul. A meeting, a church event, ten minutes reading a psalm on the porch. Something for someone else. Help a neighbor, visit a parent, take your kids somewhere. Something for fun. Fishing, a ballgame, a movie, a long lunch with a sober friend.

You don’t need to fill every minute. Rest is good too. But give the day a shape. A Saturday with a shape is a lot easier to get through than one without.

And watch for the late afternoon and evening. That’s often when the old pull comes back. Plan something for those hours in particular. Dinner with someone. A meeting. A phone call you’ll make at six.

Joy might not show up right away. Sober fun can feel strange at first, like learning to walk again. Give it time. Many people find that they laugh more sober than they ever did drinking. It just takes a few months to notice.

One thing today

Write four lines on a piece of paper: body, soul, someone else, fun. Put one thing next to each. Then do them.

A prayer

Lord, show me the path of life today. Fill the empty hours with good things and good people. Teach me to rest and enjoy this day sober. Amen.

If the afternoon gets hard, the alcohol cravings page has quick ideas to try.

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