Faith Can Be Slippery

Written by, Susan C.

I didn’t know what trust was when I got into recovery. I had no faith. Pot had been my higher power for more than 15 years. When people said their higher power was keeping them clean and sober, I was confused. How come I used so much longer than I wanted to? People who had a higher power seemed happy, so I acted as if I had one until one day I didn’t feel alone. It was a slow process to create a relationship with a higher power of my own understanding. If I trust my higher power cares for me, and I have faith that I’m not alone, I can listen to hear my higher power. That is how my higher power can keep me clean and sober: if I listen and stay connected. Once the fog lifted, I now have access to the sunlight of the spirit. I used to think that once I was connected I always would be. But I’ve discovered that faith, like everything else, comes and goes. Now I don’t fret so much when I feel disconnected. I try to remember that I AM always connected to the universal web of life and love. Being human I will forget, and then I’ll remember again. That’s a really good reason to keep coming to meetings.

Published in A New Leaf – March 2026

  • Durable Insight

    Written by, Sashank V. I imagine the brain to be an intricate Rube Goldberg machine, where a tiny stream of water flows over tributaries, spinning little water wheels, and setting tiny parcels afloat or aground based on the tide and logic of the day. Smoking marijuana is like setting a fire hose upon this delicate…

    Durable Insight
  • Why MA?

    By, Chuck R. A lot of people in other 12 Step programs ask the question, “Why Marijuana Anonymous?” I tell them that for twelve years, I was in and out of AA and NA and could not put together any length of sobriety or stop smoking pot. I tell them that I could stop drinking…

    Why MA?
  • Notes from a Newcomer

    By, Terri R. I will always remember my first MA meeting. I was scared and nervous, but I remember all of that melting away as the meeting started. Soon I realized, “This is where I need to be.” I could relate to what I was hearing. Listening intently, I was amazed that there was a…

    Notes from a Newcomer
  • Terry’s Story

    By, Terry M. Today I have many things to be grateful for. In the past three years, my life has changed a lot. To list all these changes would be impossible. There are so many things I take for granted today that I would not have known before the changes of these last few years.…

    Terry’s Story
  • Daddy

    By, Rich C. As a child, I called you Daddy. As I grew up, it became Dad. You didn’t often (or hardly ever) say, “I love you son.” Rather, you showed love. Often, we regret the things not said. Or, regret the hurtful things sometimes said. Before you died, you made amends. You said the…

    Daddy
  • Clarity

    By, Anonymous Anger was my god, and when I look back to my time in active addiction, believe me when I tell you, all I saw was red. Not the rose-coloured glasses that tell you the world is a utopia, or the glasses you see others through right before the hurt. I saw rage, I…

    Clarity