Seeking God? My journey

I noticed that a lot of people click on my blog because they’re spiritually seeking, and not just interested in addiction and relationship issues. So I thought I’d post a little bit about my story.

I came from a pretty secular background. My parents are not Christians, though my mum is a bit New-Agey. My dad is not interested at all, really. I always had a vague belief in God, though at times I’d have called myself agnostic.

My interest in God was really triggered when I read a book called, ‘Women who love too much’ by Robin Norwood. This book is about women who are always in negative relationships where they are hurt. I think the back of the book says something like, ‘if being in love means being in pain, this book is for you’. But the key as relates to this post was a short comment in the book, that those who recover from this kind of problem nearly always had a spiritual aspect to their life.

So I started searching. I read books on buddhism, for example those written by the Dalai Lama. I read the Koran. I read vague books about spirituality from a New Age perspective, like the Celestine Prophecy. I read the New Testament. The latter is what really interested me – the person of Jesus. But I didn’t like what I thought I knew about Christianity.

I started attending a local church which was quite liberal. I started to read books by liberal Christians. there was just something about Jesus that drew me to him, and a sense of God’s presence in church meetings. Gradually, my interest in and commitment to Jesus won over my prejudice about the church, and now I’d call myself a Christian. It was a long slow process though. I’m very grateful for God’s love in my life and how much I have been made emotionally and spiritually richer through my faith.

I think being religious brings loads of advantages to people who are doing the 12 steps. There is a concept of who God is, rather than just who you think God is. There are clear guidelines about what and how you should love. There is structure and direction. Most of all, for me, there is Jesus, and my living relationship with Him. I know it’s unfashionable to be Christian, but I’d really suggest that people explore it rather than go on the negative stuff that can come out of churches sometimes. It’s been a real blessing to me.