Pastor’s Corner: Hurts, hang-ups and habits... Oh my!

Editor’s note: This week’s column has been submitted by Joanna Glenn, director of ministries at Sauk Valley Community Church, on behalf of a member of Sauk Valley Community Celebrate Recovery, a group that protects the anonymity of its members. As such, the name of the writer of this column has not been provided to protect their identity.

Hello, I’m a grateful believer in Jesus Christ. In my 60-plus years on earth, I have experienced many hurts that have led me to have many hang-ups that have resulted in my developing habits that aren’t so good.

I want to tell you about a meeting that I attend where I have learned a better way to deal with my hurts, hang-ups and habits.

Community Celebrate Recovery is a group of regular people just like you and me who have recognized that they need to do something to deal with those hurts, hang-ups and habits. CR meets once a week to support and encourage one another while seeking God’s truth. It’s based on the beatitudes that Jesus shared in Matthew 5. It’s a 12-step program that helps people to rely on what God says about them instead of the regrets, shame and lies they have built their lives on.

Twelve-step programs are not a new phenomenon, but Celebrate Recovery is international, is faith-based and it’s for people with all kinds of struggles, not just substance abuse. It’s a program for anyone and everyone over 18. It’s for people who may struggle with substance abuse; gambling; habitual lying; trauma from sexual, physical or emotional abuse; co-dependency; and any number of habits and hurts.

In this recovery process we learn and deal with what’s beneath the habits. We discover the why behind those habits and then we work together on this journey of healing from wrong patterns of thinking. We lean into God for healing and the renewing of our minds so that we can live our lives full of purpose, peace and clarity. We build trust with each other as we share knowing that what we say will stay there. We have opportunities for people to go through deeper healing through a step study program and offer many resources of help.

There have been so many stories of victory that have come from Celebrate Recovery over the years since it started in 1991. You can find many testimonies on YouTube of healing and restoration.

So if you or anyone you know has been hurt and developed hang-ups and habits that are detrimental to themselves and/or others, please know there’s a place where you can find others that have taken the step of getting the support that they need on their journey to recovery!

Please join our confidential, anonymous, non-denominational, non-judgmental family that meets on Thursday nights from 6-8 p.m. at Sauk Valley Community Church, 498 state Route 2, Dixon. We start off all together for a time with either a lesson or a testimony and then split up into groups of open share. Child care also is available.

This is the group that meets locally. If you are looking for a group outside of the Sauk Valley area, please go to the Celebrate Recovery website and you can search for a local place where you are. For more information, call 815-627-0542 or (815) 288-7000 or email asonecommunity815@gmail.com