Growing Encouragement

I came to my first meeting in complete despair. I'd tried everything I could think of to fix the situation and nothing had worked. I was exhausted, defeated, ready to give up entirely. The idea that some spiritual resource could help me seemed absurd. I'd prayed before—it didn't work. How would this be any different?

But something strange happened as I kept attending meetings. I watched other people who'd felt exactly as hopeless as I did. I heard them share about changes they'd experienced, peace they'd found, lives they'd rebuilt. I saw evidence that this program actually worked. And slowly, very slowly, I became encouraged. Maybe this could help. Maybe there was hope after all. Maybe I wasn't completely alone in this.

That encouragement was crucial. It gave me just enough hope to keep coming back, to keep listening, to consider that maybe they were onto something. I didn't have to fully believe yet—I just had to be encouraged enough to stay open. The encouragement came from seeing others' recovery, from feeling understood for the first time, from discovering I wasn't uniquely broken or beyond help.

Encouragement preceded belief. First I had to see evidence that change was possible. Then I could begin to believe it might be possible for me too. The group provided that encouragement when I had none of my own.

If I'm struggling to believe today, I can look for encouragement instead. I can notice others' recovery, listen to their stories, let their experience give me hope. Encouragement comes first; belief follows. I don't have to force faith—I just need to stay open and keep coming back.