Hey friends, Jeremy here — I’m taking some time away this week on vacation to rest and recharge. But even while traveling, the journey of recovery and reflection never stops. Each morning still begins with meditation, prayer, and the AA Thought for the Day. Today’s message struck something deep in me, and I hope it reaches you too.

Facing the Unexplainable: The Obsession to Drink

For many of us in recovery, there was a time when we tried to understand our drinking. We dug deep into our past, looking for root causes — trauma, stress, loneliness, bad influences. We sought therapy, hospital stays, even time away in treatment centers. But no matter how much we tried to figure it out or “fix” it, the obsession remained. The urge to drink overpowered reason.

We told ourselves lies dressed up as logic:

• “I drink because of my childhood.”
• “I just need to get through this one season of stress.”
• “If I can just moderate, I’ll be fine.”

But the reality was more painful and far less rational: We drank because we were alcoholics.

And that meant we had a spiritual disease, not just a psychological one. No analysis, excuse, or institution could heal us — only a spiritual solution could lead to freedom.

“Finally drinking had gone far beyond even a habit. We had become alcoholics, men and women who had been destroying themselves against their own will.”

It’s a gut-punch realization. That we were not only hurting ourselves — we were doing so against our own will, trapped in a cycle we couldn’t escape alone.

Freedom Begins with Surrender

There’s a powerful question in today’s AA thought:

“Am I completely free from my alcoholic obsession?”

Only you can answer that. But if you’re reading this, and you know the obsession still claws at you — there’s hope.

Freedom doesn’t come from trying harder. It comes from surrendering deeper.

That surrender isn’t weakness. It’s the path to spiritual strength. It’s where the meditation for today brings us:

“You can do practically anything in the field of human relationships, if you are willing to call on God’s supply of strength.”

You can break free. You can rebuild trust. You can show up again for those you’ve let down. You can live with integrity.

But not on your own strength.

Instead, we are called to:

1. Ask — through prayer, through honest inventory, through talking with a sponsor.
2. Receive — when we are ready, open, and humble enough to accept help.

That’s the miracle. Not a lightning bolt of perfection, but a slow unfurling of strength we didn’t even know we had access to.

Strength That Grows With Us

One of the most hopeful messages from today’s meditation is this:

“As you grow spiritually, a feeling of being plentifully supplied by God’s strength will possess you…”

That strength doesn’t arrive all at once. It grows with your faith, your practice, your honesty.

The first time I felt it, I didn’t even know what it was. It came as the quiet urge to say “no” when I normally would’ve said “yes” to a drink. It showed up as courage when I apologized sincerely. It appeared in the words of someone who loved me enough to be honest.

God’s supply is real. And it grows with your willingness.

So here are 3 practical ways to step into this strength today:

1. 

Pray Honestly, Not Perfectly

You don’t need flowery words. Just say, “God, I can’t do this without You. Help me.” Start there. Honesty is enough.

2. 

Pause and Ask Before Reacting

When something triggers you — whether it’s anger, fear, or the urge to escape — take a breath and ask: “What would strength look like right now?” Then wait for the answer. It will come.

3. 

Lean Into Fellowship

Don’t isolate. Go to a meeting. Call someone in the program. Strength often shows up in the voice on the other end of the line.

A Prayer for Today

Let’s close with the simple, powerful prayer from today’s reflection:

“I pray that I may claim God’s supply of strength by my faith in Him. I pray that it shall be given to me according to my faith.”

We don’t earn grace. We just receive it — when we’re ready.

Until Tomorrow…

Thank you for joining me today, even while I’m off enjoying some sun and quiet time. Recovery doesn’t stop while we rest — it just deepens.

If this message spoke to you, I invite you to subscribe. Together, we can walk this road — one honest, grace-filled day at a time.

See you tomorrow.

With gratitude,

— Jeremy