The Opportunity to Love

Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies. ~Hebrews 13:1-3 (NLT)
Life will take on new meaning. To watch people recover, to see them help others, to watch loneliness vanish, to see a fellowship grow up about you, to have a host of friends – this is an experience you must not miss. We know you will not want to miss it. Frequent contact with newcomers and with each other is the bright spot of our lives. ~ Alcoholics Anonymous, Page 89

Addiction is so lonely,
so internalized
even in the midst of crowds,
or those you know best.
Recovery is so public,
so expansive,
such a message to shout
to strangers who
in an instant can become
friends, confidants,
fellow travelers.
It’s good to have them —
without friends to share with,
I would explode from the joy.

God, thank you for people
who care about me
and who give me the opportunity
to love.