The Long Way Home

The Long Way Home

Understanding the Journey to Joy

Personal reflections from a fellow traveler.  Not AA approved literature.  Shared in the spirit of Experience, Strength, and hope.

Joy rarely comes quickly. I’ve spent years chasing shortcuts—trying to outrun pain, outthink fear, or outmaneuver my own history. But the deeper lessons, the ones that actually change me, only surface on the slow path.

My life has been shaped not by leaps, but by long walks through humility, surrender, and painful honesty. Every shortcut I chased eventually looped back to the same truth: growth takes time. Sobriety taught me that joy isn’t the reward at the end—it’s something uncovered in the steady, imperfect steps of becoming who God intended me to be.

The long way home isn’t punishment. It’s formation. And the joy that waits for us there is built on choices made in quiet rooms, unseen moments, and daily acts of courage.

Lately I’ve been experiencing emotional pain.  Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt - or FUD as they say in the financial industry.  I must constantly remind myself that growth is a marathon, not a sprint.  No matter what happens in life, I must continually cultivate gratitude and thank my creator for what I have been given to manage, and what I must let go of along the way.

Where in your life is God asking you to take the long road—and trust that joy is growing?