A Mutual Enemy

A Mutual Enemy By Reg Rhodes My friend and I have a dangerous and mutual enemy. It is called alcohol, and it is killing her. Masquerading as her best friend, the alcohol is cunning. Repeatedly, it sells her dreamy promises of escape from reality. The alcohol is baffling; it keeps her convinced that she is not sick, that another drink wont hurt. Powerful in its relentless pursuit of her soul, the alcohol exposes its true intentions, slowly draining her life. Escape from reality was only an alcohol induced illusion, the relief only temporary. Only small traces of her once-vibrant personality remain, her proud stature reduced to an unrecognizable slouch. Her once healthy figure now skinny and frail. Alcohol; now the great betrayer, is tenanciously pursuing its goal to kill my friend, just like it tried to kill me. The alcohol is merciless, and it aspires to steal her soul. The alcohol is patient; slowly destroying my friends life, drowning her in a sea of loneliness and despair. She frantically swims for shore, and it is so far away. Miraculously, a raft materializes. Gods concern is apparant. She rejects the concept of God, even In the face of adversity. She is stubborn, and refuses to see the raft, rejecting Gods help. She swims right by. The alcohol shows no sympathy; it destroys it's victims slowly and painfully. The alcohol is poison in her body; it doesn't care that her liver is shutting down. It pays no mind to the plethora of mysterious health problems, the endless barrage of doctor appointments or the many surgeries she must endure. The alcohol is cunning; providing her with a dark veil of tears, keeping her blind to her own terrifying reality. The alcohol is the great deceiver; keeping her wrapped in a cloak of denial, the pleadings of her friends and family go unnoticed. The alcohol is the great repressor; It stole her smile, her laugh, her personality. The alcohol knows nothing of love; it has no regards for her kids, her family or her friends.. The alcohol silences her fear of death. It replaces happiness with anger, joy with sadness, and confidence with bewilderment. The alcohol is the great supressor. Warnings from her doctors go unnoticed, she no longer fears death. The alcohol keeps her in a constant state of self loathing, sadness, loneliness and fear. My friend and I have a dangerous and mutual enemy that preys on our unaided will, it makes her blind to Gods love for her. Stripped of her many wonderful attributes, she no longer sees his plan for her, or what he had in mind when he created her. If only she would stop pushing God away, and allow him to embrace her with his love, forgiveness, tolerance and understanding. If she could only understand that only God can restore her sanity. That only he can relieve her of the unbearable cravings and compulsions to drink. If only she could believe in a higher power greater than herself, give up her stubborness, drop to her knees and cry out for help. Even an inadvertant prayer can be powerful, provided she has an overwhelming, genuine desire to stop drinking. For her, a spiritual awakening would mean freedom from the bondage of herself. A liberating fact for her is that she doesn't have to drink anymore. The chaos and turmoil in her life will disappear. Tumultuous mental torture will be removed, and she will feel serenity and peace. She will find that God will do for her what she couldn't do for herself. Hand in hand, my friend and I will skip our way along the road to happy destiny. Our dangerous mutual enemy, no longer a threat.