Grace in Addiction Recovery: Offering Support and Understanding Without Judgment

My daughter came upon a distressing scene recently. A young man was desperately giving CPR to a dishevelled man who appeared to be in overdose, and the young mans’ girlfriend was yelling at him to stop helping: “I don’t have any sympathy for these people, they aren’t even trying.” Before you judge the girlfriend too harshly understand that many of our friends are guilty of the stereotypes that people harshly judge them with.

But…so what? What should our response be to members of our society who through various choices and traumas are unable to live up to our expectations? If we are honest we have all had the benefit of grace, of unmerited favor, of benefits we didn’t earn. Grace is wonderful. Let’s not condemn and dismiss those around us who may need more grace than you think they have earned. While people cannot change without their own participation there are some that can’t make it without ours as well. And that is okay.

We are on your side. 321 Talbot St. St Thomas, right beside the Grace Cafe. 226-896-0080.