September 27: Seven Times Down, Eight Up
You were doing so well. The amends were going. People were starting to trust you. And then you drank. Now it feels like all of it is ruined. Is it?
“…for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.”
Proverbs says a righteous person falls seven times and rises up again. Notice what makes them righteous. Not that they never fall. That they get back up.
A slip during Step Nine can feel especially crushing. You’ve been telling people you’ve changed. You’ve been making amends. Now you feel like a liar. Shame will tell you to hide, to give up, to keep drinking since you’ve already blown it.
Grace first. God has not changed His mind about you. His forgiveness doesn’t have a limit. The work you did is not erased. The amends you made were real. You fell. You can rise.
Then honesty. Call your sponsor today. Tell the truth plainly. Get to a meeting. Look at what led up to it with someone who can help you see it. Was it the stress of the amends? Isolation? Skipping your daily habits? Pride that you had it handled?
Take care of your body.
Safety first. If you drink heavily every day, stopping suddenly can be dangerous. Talk to a doctor before you quit.
What about the people you’ve been making amends to? You don’t need to announce your slip to everyone. Talk to your sponsor about who, if anyone, needs to know. Your spouse or family may need to hear it from you directly. Honesty now protects the trust you’ve been rebuilding.
Then get back to work. The list is still there. The steps are still there. You don’t start the whole program over from scratch. You pick up where you are, with a little more humility than before.
Seven times down. Eight times up. That’s the righteous person in Proverbs. That can be you.
One thing today
Call your sponsor today and tell them about the slip in plain words. Then go to the next meeting you can. Get up.
A prayer
Lord, I fell. I feel like I’ve ruined everything. Thank You that Your grace is still here. Help me get back up, tell the truth, and keep going. Amen.
The relapse page walks through what to do in the next day or two.
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