Four-Fold Recovery

September has been designated as Recovery month with the theme “A Four-Fold Recovery Plan” that includes sermons around love, healing, God’s presence, and praise. When we talk about recovery it could mean recovering from surgery, loss of a loved one, or recovering from drug addiction. Each one of these is a process that a person may experience when going through recovery.

When we look at recovery, we look at returning to a normal state of mind and health. With just having had a total knee replacement, it has been a process to get back to normal, and it has been painful. It has caused me to look at life differently. While recovering, I found the need to look to God and look within the scriptures for help, encouragement, and relief from the pain. I know that as I keep moving and depending on God, I will get back to normal and even feel better.

I also know that the recovery process during the loss of a loved one is something that you never fully get over. While life without your loved one does not go back to “normal,” you can get to a “new” normal. There have been times that I thought I was going to lose my mind. I even went through a state of depression. But my fervent prayers and the prayers of others praying for me brought me through this trying time.

During our times of recovery, we must be willing to admit to God that we have sinned, and we need His help and guidance to get us through our situations. One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 46:1. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Trust God to give you help when you are in need.

When God helps us through our trials, we must be willing to start over if necessary and rejoice within the starting over. We will all go through physical, emotional, or situational recovery at some time in this life. However, we can go through the process knowing that we go through in love, seeking God’s healing, as we enter into His presence with praise.

Prepared by Reverend Kimberly Garner September 1, 2022 – September 30, 2022