Weekly meetings available to you are as follows:

Tuesday at 6:30 PM, Truitt Baptist Church - Pearl. Call Matt Flint at (601) 260-8518 or email him at matthewflint.makes@gmail.com.

Wednesday at 6:00 PM, First Baptist Church Jackson - Summit Counseling Suite - 431 North State St. Jackson. Call Don Waller at 601-946-1290 or email him at don@wallerbros.com.

Monday at 6:30 PM , Vertical Church - 521 Gluckstadt Road Madison, MS 39110. Mr. Roane Hunter, facilitator, LifeWorks Counseling.

Wednesday at 7:00 PM, Crossgates Baptist Church. Brandon Reach out to Matthew Lehman at (601)-214-4077 for further info.

Sunday night at 6:00 PM, Grace Crossing Baptist Church - 598 Yandell Rd. Canton. Call Joe McCalman at 601-201-5608 or email him at cookandnoonie@gmail.com.


Monday, October 16, 2023

Embrace The Idea Of Pivoting. Don't Limit Your Recovery To Only Samson Society.

 

Many of you have hit a wall within your recovery.  Attending Samson Society meetings and engaging with your Silas simply isn't cutting the recovery mustard (as it once was).

Have you ever attended a family reunion?  A worthwhile and properly administered generational get-together?  One where thoughtfulness has been put into the venue, activities, food, etc.?  

Many of you are (now) of the opinion that you're not necessarily on the same "freak / loser plane" as your localized Samson group attendees (they're from Mars, you're from Venus or vice versa).  Too, your dialogues with your Silas are no longer fresh.  And this is curtailing your willingness to be completely honest with him.  You know that both of these ugly truths are now working against your steadfast recovery, yet you're continuing to go through the Samson Society motions.

Have you ever walked into a CrossFit gym or stepped foot onto a court / playing field, only to feel especially in sync with the guys who were there too?  To the point that the moves you were making equated towards the entirety / synergy of the team?  

Within your recovery journey, many of you have found powerful tools - within Samson Society - relative to tamping down one specific vice, but perhaps some of you have now found that another, less familiar vice, has reared its ugly head (in its place) and is subsequently demanding attention.  And this latter vice, you've no idea what to make of.  All you do know is that it's exciting to participate in yet deeply disturbing simultaneously.  

Have you ever been people-watching, perhaps whilst sitting in your truck outside of a busy grocery store and spotted that guy.  That. Guy.  The one you'd like to sit down and have a cup of Joe with?  There's just something about his stride, what he's wearing, how he navigates the throngs.  All of this adds up to your finding something relatable / attractive about him.  And when he eventually exits the storefront, you (again) can't help but break into a smile as you watch him traverse the asphalt towards his own vehicle, all the while saying a silent prayer for him and his future well-being.

Do you wince at the thought of looking at yourself in the mirror one more time?  Feel way too self-focused.  Self-critical.  Self.  Self.  Self.  Self.  Self.

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It may be time to segue towards some alternative recovery efforts, but I would argue only if you've not lost hope that recovery work comes in many different shapes and sizes.  Samson Society isn't a panacea.  It's essentially one "leading by weakness" man's (Mr. Nate Larkin) authorship of a tome that inspired an extremely horizontal, diversely approachable parachurch ministry that for many men is ONLY THE STARTING POINT.

God bless you, my friend, on your journey.  Sometimes hitting the wall is the very best move you can make.  

Don't forget to write.  

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