Denial ("da Nile")

Last night, we discussed denial---no, not the river in Egypt (bad joke, I know). In any type of recovery process, whether it be grief or addictions, the first step is to admit there is a problem. Denial will act as a "shield" to temper the things around us so we won't have to "feel the pain". When we come out of denial, we start feeling the pain, and that hurts. Many may go through this stage quickly, while others may require more time to process what has occurred. At some point, you must come to the realization that something bad has happened, and begin to work towards acceptance. But, in the meantime, you will go through those other steps or stages that may be even harder.

The most often heard reference to denial spoken of in the Bible was when Peter denied knowing Jesus just prior to His crucifixion. As Peter was gathered there in the crowd with others, when asked "Aren't you one of his followers?", Peter denies knowing Him. We may judge and wonder how Peter could have done this when being in such close fellowship with Jesus on a daily basis. But, don't be so quick to judge Peter. Do we not sometimes deny knowing Christ in "his power", and try to push Him aside? Do we try to deny that He will take care of us in our weakness? Because, after all, where was God when all these troubles started?

So, I encourage you to stop denying Christ's power to "handle your mess". Step One in the Twelve-Step program: "We admitted that we were powerless over our dependencies---that our life had become unmanageable." Stage One in the grieving process is denial. Accept the first principle of restoration: Step out of your denial and admit there is a problem. God bless you on your journey!