Life doesn’t come wrapped in a pretty package.  We’re human and stuff happens.  No matter what, one thing always remains certain about life:  you will be tested, tousled, tumbled and tempted.

Just ask Sam about being tested.  “Yeah, I miss my old drinking buddies, at times.  I can’t lie to you, we had a lot of fun, and I enjoyed it while I was doing it.”  In fact, there were two terrible periods when he reverted to old habits.  In one instance he said, “I’m so ashamed of myself.  I thought I had a hold of this thing and now it’s got me, again.”

He spiraled into hopelessness, more drinking, and depression.  He was pulled back into the pattern.  Whenever he took a tumble backwards he would say, “Well, that’s what happened.  Nothing I can do about it now.  I’ll just start over.  God’s forgiven me.  I have to forgive myself.”  On he would go, recommitted.  He did that dance until he conquered that demon, cured for good.

What happened to Sam is not unusual.  For nearly everyone, the temptation to give-in and go back to the old way will surface and resurface.  The important lesson when you half-step or back-step, is you can still step forward, out of the mess you believe you made and reclaim your right to choose again.  You can start anew.

Forget, “I told you so.”  If someone says that to you, walk away.  And, if you say that to someone, ask yourself, “Why?”  Are you intending to dump on them?  Whether you intended to or not, you just did.

“I told you so,” does more to hurt than help.  You may make yourself feel good about being “right,” in the face of the other being “wrong,” but you’ll do nothing except create alienation and add to the feeling that what the person is experiencing is their permanent lot in life.  Who deserves that?  No one.  Everyone is worthy of a chance to try again.