Written by: CR - Mary in Celebrate Recovery, Local Sites, Longwood on March 16, 2012

The overreaching purpose of my job is to find ways to improve the company’s performance, processes and profit. I commonly find one statement crossing my mind and my lips:

“Fish See Water Last”

It is not an extremely intuitive statement but if one takes a minute to think, it portrays a powerful message. “Fish See Water Last” is a proverb meaning it can be difficult to see or be aware of something, when one is immersed in it. In summary, the statement means people do not see the closest or most obvious facts in their every day life.

I believe it applies to many aspects of life. I currently have a pile of “stuff” sitting on my dining room table. I walk past it multiple times a day but … I do not see it. When I have guests over, we eat dinner in the living room, on my couch. It has become acceptable and I have learned to accommodate to the “stuff.” In recovery, I find myself accepting things that have “always been that way.” This stuff should by my first priority to investigate. Accepting and accommodating for “these things” (we can probably all name different ones) leads to an incomplete picture and potentially bondage to my addiction.

“Fish See Water Last” can also have another meaning. I found myself suddenly dumbfounded last week by how good I felt. I reached a new level of confidence and clarity in my recovery. I am extremely grateful but want to figure out how I got here, so I can be sure to STAY here. I realized while I have been fighting to maintain my recovery I made some huge strides without realizing it in the moment. I have undergone considerable growth and maturity in the past several months while in Celebrate Recovery.

“Spiritual Growth” to people is like water to fish. We cannot see our growth as it happens but when given the opportunity to view our life through a metaphorical time-lapse video, it is undeniable. This is not a new concept. I began to wonder if other ideas existed in the world that are invisible but indisputable. I came up with several random items which cannot be seen but have all been proven to exist: wind, faith, electronic fields, fog (a bit more tangible but can you hold fog in your hand?) and dreams. Then I wondered if God had any input on this subject. Ephesians 6:12 proved the power of such things:

“For out battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.”

Progress on my recovery journey is undeniable. Only a few years ago, my life revolved around deciding if I would live or die but today I experience life abundantly. My road to recovery has not always been clear but one thing is for sure…. I would never have been able to find my way without Christ’s light guiding my path with the tool, Celebrate Recovery.