WATCH AND PRAY

This verse stood out to me today on so many levels. Matthew 26:41

I am working hard to stay in my lane with my son’s addiction - as best I can it is a work in progress. I am working on “watch and pray”. All while I am watching him and praying for him regardless of the space he is in, this illness, it does its own version of “watch and prey”. It watches for him to be in a healthy place, then it preys on his weaknesses. It is a vicious cycle. I know he has the armor of God to protect him (as do I). The constant reminder, and a sign I have hanging in my office is this: Pray. Wait. Trust.

I have to watch and pray for myself too. Watch that I stay in my lane and pray for the strength to do it, and trust that His will is done in His timing - not mine.

Daily, I am reminded how easy it is for all of us to fall to temptation. Our spirits are definitely willing to do what is right, but our flesh is weak. We don’t have to have an illness like addiction to fall into temptations and give in to the flesh. Yet, in my experience, when those of us who don’t have addiction give in to some type of temptation, we are not judged as harshly as those who are battling this monster. It constantly strikes me how unforgiving of this illness people can be. I truly believe it is because so many of us are uneducated.

Myself, I am still learning so much and believe the stigma that surrounds addiction can be cast aside with education. There are some that may never see addiction as anything except a morale failing. I hope those folks are never in the position to truly learn otherwise.

This last year found our entire nation in a pandemic with Covid-19; and, while I do not have the medical statistics of illness and death, I know it is small in comparison to the pandemic of addiction that is plaguing our nation. We can no longer just stand by and watch as addiction continues to prey on our loved ones. We have to watch and pray in the respect when it comes to ending the stigma of addiction, and it is our duty to ourselves and loved ones to bring awareness and education to others and trust, then, that God will do the rest.