Look North. It’s Strong. It’s Free.

 

“God help me.”

It’s affectionately known as ‘the alcoholic’s prayer’ in the church basements I like to hang out in on a regular basis.  I know it well.  Have said it more times than I probably care to remember, or can remember for that matter.  Funny thing those blackouts us drunks experience.  Sometimes I’m grateful I can’t recall all of my shenanigans.

My old way of saying the alcoholic’s prayer went something like this …

God help me _____
[insert highly dramatic details of whatever so-called predicament I had found myself in]
and I will _____
[insert some bargaining chip I thought the big guy would fall for at the time, usually something to do with not drinking ever again].
This time will be different, I promise.
[insert sound of thunder somewhere in the world reflecting the noise of God’s hearty rolling-on-the-floor-of-heaven laughter]

The way I say it now …

God help me.

 

Short and sweet, just like me.  No need for the drama or the details, He already knows what the heck is going on in my world.  No insincere bartering required, He’s happy with my trade-in of some humility for a change.  No sorority style pledging necessary, He gave me free will for a reason.  And the laughter is replaced by a warm and gentle smile.  On both of our faces.

I find instant relief just by uttering those three little words.  Out loud or silently, doesn’t matter.  Huge crisis or simply dealing with my own noisy nonsense in my head, it works for both.  How it works, I’m not all that sure.  For once I say those words, it’s out of my hands.  I surrender to the circumstances, I relinquish my need for control, and I yield to acceptance.  I just Let. It. Be.

 

Cool eh?  It can work for you too.  When life is going the good ole proverbial south for you, just change your outlook.  Look north instead.  It really is the strong and the free.

 

It makes no difference what you look at, the words you speak, or to whom you say them.  It doesn’t matter where you live, where you happen to be in the moment, or even where in the world Waldo is.  Everyone’s got a north to go to.  You don’t need to recalibrate your compass to match up to someone else’s.  What you’ve got is custom made just for you and only you.  This is the kind of GPS system that doesn’t rely on wifi or use satellite signals.  It’s with you always.  It doesn’t need you to enter any coordinates.  It already knows where you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re heading.  It’s a ‘smart’ device.  Just like you.

So look.  Anywhere, here, there, and everywhere.  Revel in the remarkableness of whatever you see.  Acknowledge that there is a power greater than you that contributed to whatever is within your reach of vision.  Recognize the same power is both within and without you.  Say something, say anything.  Say the word ‘something’ if you’re at a loss for words.  Send your words to that power.  It will echo something back to you.  Stop for a minute and listen.  And prepare to be amazed.

 

It’s Amazing
With the blink of an eye you finally see the light
It’s Amazing
When the moment arrives that you know you’ll be alright
It’s Amazing
And I’m sayin’ a prayer for the desperate hearts tonight

Amazing, Aerosmith

 

 

In response to today’s Daily Prompt:  South

Image source:  Evan Ology user on flickr.com, CC2.0 Generic

 

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Listen to music.  It could save your soul.  Be kind.  It could save someone’s world.  Wear a hat.  It could save your life.