Volleyball Shoes on the 21st Day: Get Your Feet Right

My bishop, two bishops ago, told me an analogy that made so much sense to me. I don't remember if he gave this story in a talk, or if he told me directly, but it doesn't matter- the message was meant for me (probably not only me, of course).

He talked about how he used to be a volleyball coach, and he said sometimes the girls would send the ball flying erratically over the net. They thought their aim had been good, but the ball didn't go where they wanted it to go because their feet weren't right. He said that when they finally learned to get their feet pointed in the right direction, with practice, the ball would begin to fall where they intended it to fall. So he would work with their feet more than with their aim and swing.

I'm very uninterested in sports. They bore me. But, they seem to be easy to relate to life in many ways!

The bishop likened that story to life. He said sometimes we aim and get it all wrong. We try and fail. But if our feet our pointed in the right direction (i.e. to God), then we'll eventually do other things right as well and that ball will stop landing out of bounds. When our feet are right, our swing will eventually improve, and everything else will fall into place.

He must have been talking to me directly about this, because now I remember him saying that as long as I kept doing what I was doing- reading scriptures, praying, attending my meetings, having FHE- then eventually everything else would fall into place. Eventually, I would aim and the ball wouldn't land in a pit of sin. I took that to heart and never forgot it.

For me, recovery has taken a very long time, but my bishop was right. Through continued scripture reading, prayer, and meeting attendance, I finally learned about the Addiction Recovery Program. My ball was still flying erratically about, landing in muddy areas, never doing what I wanted it to do, but I kept doing those things I knew were right. Slowly, so slowly, I gained access to new tools, new friends who would support me, new courage, new strength. I kept my feet right, and slowly, the ball would land in safer areas.

Obviously, since I'm only 3 weeks out of my last slip, I haven't quite gotten the hang of my swing. But, my feet are straight, and my swing is so much better. I haven't given up. I'm learning and growing and hoping and repenting, my feet ever pointing to the Savior, and I know that my swing will follow. I know that it is following.

I remember a time not so long ago when 3 weeks of abstinence was impossible. Recovery is a miracle! But it's possible for anyone of us, because Jesus is the Savior to everyone of us.

So, if progress is the name of the game (and it is), then I'm winning. Even so, I'm pretty bad at volleyball.