“When we withdraw our opinions as to who people should be, we loosen our grasp and give ourselves the opportunity to know people for who they are. We are then free to truly know ourselves and share what we learn with others.

“Holding on tightly to the past—the known—can shut us off from God’s invitations to grow. Our openness to the unfamiliar, whether ideas or people or new opportunities, will enrich us immeasurably.”

– “In God’s Care*: Daily Meditations on Spirituality in Recovery,” June 14
*As We Understand God

There is no question that being with other people expands my horizons, and even more so when I let them be who they really are. I am only responsible for myself, as is every other individual. Setting them free, sets me free as well.

I have an upcoming trip in a few days and I am most excited about it. It’s my first vacation in four years; I’ll be flying from the local regional airport for the first time; I’ll be visiting my dearest friend who relocated to Colorado; we’ll be going tube kayaking on the Colorado River; I’ll be meeting her new friends of her spiritual community; and, the list goes on and on. How exciting compared to spending time away from work on my own watching a movie, taking a walk, or whatever.

My upcoming trip is one of God’s invitations to grow. I’m open to whatever the week will bring. I know that flying for the first time in years, participating in fun outdoor activities, touring the area, and meeting lots of new people, is going to enrich me and my life tremendously—and, I’m up for it! It’s not always easy and comfortable to try new things, to be in unfamiliar territory, or to meet lots of new people. But I’ll be with my friend and her wife, who truly are like family to me, my family of choice, and Spirit of course will be with me as well.

I am grateful for this opportunity to get away, discover Colorado, be more adventurous than usual, and take them all as God’s invitations to grow.