285 Bug Bites

Batch 29 #285

We asked His protection and care with complete abandon. (AA 59)

My legs are itching from bites received while weeding my garden. Mosquitoes never bite me; something about my body chemistry shields me. Before SA recovery, I laughed when everyone escaped to the screened porch while I sat blissfully by the pool fantasizing without interruptions.

However, I have no natural defense from the sand fleas in my garden. The tiny insects wait for me to stand still long enough to attack. They are good at it, too, biting one by one instead of in a swarm. I do not realize I have been bitten until the attack is over. My only defense is long pants and insect repellent.

This reminds me that my disease manifests itself differently in each of us. What trips up another might have minimal effect on me, and vice versa. I cannot afford to belittle others for their susceptibility to “mosquitoes’ that do not overtly threaten me.

I must stay aware of the “sand fleas’” in my recovery garden and take measures to protect myself against their cunning assaults. I cannot ignore or minimize the triggers that threaten my sobriety and recovery. Preventive measures are the key. Regular meetings, working the Steps, close contact with my sponsor and other SAs, service work, prayer and meditation—these are my ”long pants’” and ”repellent.’” Without them I will ultimately succumb to the “bugs’” that await me.

Thank you, God, for the protection you provide through the program of recovery.