Member Writings

It is the eve of Passover, the holiday that for us Jews commemorates freedom to its utmost. In our case, it was God's love for us that freed us from bondage. No, we did not deserve it, we were actually a pretty "unpure" and "unholy" crowd at the time, but He did it anyway. Much of our story is that freedom from bondage in Egypt, the wandering for 40+ years, and then an ascent into the holy land.

In many ways this parallels a recovery journey. Like many other compulsive overeaters, I was led to OA not because I deserved it but because God loved me and wanted me to get better. I was a fairly rotten human being and I needed lots of time (aka wandering through the steps) to heal, grow, and recover. As for the promised land, well, I'll peek at it periodically vis-à-vis. The peace and serenity I experience periodically when the insides quiet down and the chatter arrests.

Many Jews today ask how this story is relevant in their lives - why in the world did the dumb Jews have to wander all those years when there is MapQuest. We certainly would not be lost now. We're too smart for that. The answer surprised me when I learned it. They wandered not because God did not want to show them the easy, direct, less than 6 month's path to the Holy Land, but because it was necessary to go through at least 2 generations to extinguish their slave mentality. They could not really enter with all their minds and hearts into God's land until they were spiritually free, which by the way, takes much longer than physical freedom. And for me as a compulsive overeater, this is highly relatable material. I lost weight fairly quickly, even after the relapse I lost most of what I had regained, but the head work, that has taken much, much longer. Its actually an ongoing lifetime endeavor. Compulsive eating is really spiritual bondage with serious physical side effects. It took me a while to get that, but once I did, I understood that no diet could cure me. I needed the OA program.

And so tonight I begin to reexperience freedom in a deeper, more relevant way. Not just freedom from physical shackles, but more importantly from the spiritual and emotional ones. Jewish holidays often serve as a contrast to the binding in our physical world. We do not have to be bound to schedules, other's deadlines, traffic, etc. And when we loosen those chains, we often find, as I have, the room for spiritual renewal and rejuvenation.

This message is as relevant now as it was over 2000 years ago. May God bless me and my family, friends, and all people with release from what ever binds us and may He guide us toward spiritual freedom. Amen.

Happy Passover!

Natalie

I live in the space of thankfulness, and I have been rewarded a million times over for it. Prior to finding OA I did try to live each day as positive as possible, but it was very hard to see the good in things. Especially when I couldn’t stop overeating. At this second anniversary of my abstinence and as I reflect back on this year, I can see how I’ve grown spiritually. I know it’s because I started giving thanks for the small things, and the more thankful I became, the more the rewards increased. Not only have I remained abstinent, but I have gained true serenity. That's because what I focus on expands, and when I focus on the goodness in my life, I create more of it. I feel so blessed to have found OA and the relationships I have formed. It is only through OA that I have learned to be grateful no matter what happens in my life. "SAY THANK YOU!" Say thank you all throughout your day and you will see the difference these two words make. These words have turned my life around. This past summer my husband had a problem with his heart and was in the hospital for nine days. Every time I got in the car to drive home I cried. Then after crying I would start thanking God for all the good things that were happening in the hospital and that we were blessed for the good care he was getting and the great doctors he had. And, that if He chose to take my husband, He would help me accept it. Today my husband is doing great. I say thank you because my faith is strong and I know that whatever the problem, I will get through it. I say thank you because I know that even in the eye of the storm, God has put a rainbow in the clouds. I say thank you because I know there's no problem created that I can’t find the good in through my Higher Power. SAY THANK YOU! Each day I pray to be a better person, to be kinder and more loving and more tolerant of others. Every day I thank God for the wonderful life I have, even if it wasn’t so wonderful that day. I pray for Him to help me heal my relationships that are broken, and to take away my resentments. This area of my life is getting better every day. I pray for him to remove my defects of character and, of course, I pray each day for him to help me remain abstinent. When I do my 10^{th step inventory at night and think back on my day, this gratitude helps me to look at my day differently.} And all by just saying THANK YOU. K.K. Linden		April 12th, 2006 It is the eve of Passover, the holiday that for us Jews commemorates freedom to its utmost. In our case, it was God's love for us that freed us from bondage. No, we did not deserve it, we were actually a pretty "unpure" and "unholy" crowd at the time, but He did it anyway. Much of our story is that freedom from bondage in Egypt, the wandering for 40+ years, and then an ascent into the holy land. In many ways this parallels a recovery journey. Like many other compulsive overeaters, I was led to OA not because I deserved it but because God loved me and wanted me to get better. I was a fairly rotten human being and I needed lots of time (aka wandering through the steps) to heal, grow, and recover. As for the promised land, well, I'll peek at it periodically vis-à-vis. The peace and serenity I experience periodically when the insides quiet down and the chatter arrests. Many Jews today ask how this story is relevant in their lives - why in the world did the dumb Jews have to wander all those years when there is MapQuest. We certainly would not be lost now. We're too smart for that. The answer surprised me when I learned it. They wandered not because God did not want to show them the easy, direct, less than 6 month's path to the Holy Land, but because it was necessary to go through at least 2 generations to extinguish their slave mentality. They could not really enter with all their minds and hearts into God's land until they were spiritually free, which by the way, takes much longer than physical freedom. And for me as a compulsive overeater, this is highly relatable material. I lost weight fairly quickly, even after the relapse I lost most of what I had regained, but the head work, that has taken much, much longer. Its actually an ongoing lifetime endeavor. Compulsive eating is really spiritual bondage with serious physical side effects. It took me a while to get that, but once I did, I understood that no diet could cure me. I needed the OA program. And so tonight I begin to reexperience freedom in a deeper, more relevant way. Not just freedom from physical shackles, but more importantly from the spiritual and emotional ones. Jewish holidays often serve as a contrast to the binding in our physical world. We do not have to be bound to schedules, other's deadlines, traffic, etc. And when we loosen those chains, we often find, as I have, the room for spiritual renewal and rejuvenation. This message is as relevant now as it was over 2000 years ago. May God bless me and my family, friends, and all people with release from what ever binds us and may He guide us toward spiritual freedom. Amen. Happy Passover! Natalie