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Tag Archives: 12 Steps

Jonathan Roumie Quote

30 Dec

“And if I never did anything else again in entertainment, I would be sad, but I would be content knowing that I said yes to this very very intense, long mission–it will be ten years by the time it’s all released from the time I started–and I will feel like, okay, I’ve done something with my life…I’ve seen what this kind of storytelling, and what’s at the heart of it, how it can literally change people’s lives…You see it. They go from non-belief to belief. They go from no being active in the sacraments to all of a sudden going to confession, and going to mass, and taking communion again. And that the difference between life and death. Spiritual life and death. And there’s nothing that’s going to be more important for me than affecting an individual’s relationship with their creator. It trumps everything. It is the top priority in everybody’s life if they acknowledge that there is a relationship like that to be had. And once you know you’ve somehow been a touch point for that person’s journey, it’s like, well, what else is there? What else matters in my work as an artist? Nothing. Nothing does.” (5:15 mark of the video)

Dear God, I listened to this interview from yesterday at least a couple of times, and this is quote is the part that spoke to me the most. I think it comes down to the heart of everything we are called by you to be. And I bolded the part that really touched me with the rest to set the context for Mr. Roumie’s statement: “And there’s nothing that going to be more important for me than affecting an individual’s relationship with their creator. It trumps everything. It is the top priority in everybody’s life if they acknowledge that there is a relationship like that to be had.”

I can’t help but think about the narrow gate. Jesus references it in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:13-14: 13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to [destruction] is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. I think I’ve found the narrow gate. And it’s frustrating to try to help friends decide to find it and have them turn me down. Family too.

So what does the narrow gate look like to me? How would I describe the narrow gate? I think answering this question might be different for a lot of Christians, and there are parts of this that I’m better at than other parts, but here’s what I’m thinking off of the top of my head.

  • Humility: Admit I am powerless and I need the God of the universe to restore me to sanity (combination of the first two steps in AA).
  • Make a decision to turn my life and will over to you, repent before you and others, receive your grace and love through Jesus, and turn my life over to you, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to start to remove my character defects (steps 3-7 in AA).
  • Seek you through prayer and meditation (step 11 in AA).
  • Love others and carry this message to others (step 12).

I know I talked recently about a book that talked about the spiritual significance of the 12 steps in AA, and I think they ring pretty true here. I think if I walk in these steps then I have found the narrow gate. The one thing that is missing that, frankly, I’m not good at, is the intercessory prayer part for others. I think it’s important to pray for others and have them on our hearts, but outside of carrying the message to others there isn’t much in the 12 steps on that. But it’s important, and it’s something that my wife is so much better about than I am.

Father, make a difference in the world through my life. Today. In this moment. Of course, I want it for tomorrow too, but I just want to be in this moment today. Help me to be a man who continuously chooses the narrow gate and then guides others through it. Not so they can be saved from hell, but so they can know the peace and joy of relationship with you. And please forgive me for how I hurt others, myself, and you, and help me to know in the moment when I am doing something harmful and guide me out of it.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on December 30, 2025 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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Hurt and Closure

08 Sep

“Original Blues Clues Host Steve Burns Finally Addresses His Sudden Departure In Viral Twitter Clip” –Vanity Fair

Dear God, hurt and closure are an interesting thing. Sometimes we are hurt and need closure and we don’t even realize it. Even if we are still maintaining a relationship with someone, if there is a lingering unaddressed issue between us it can still fester and steer the relationship in unhealthy ways.

It kind of makes me think of steps 8 and 9 in the 12-step program from AA:

Step 8: “We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.”

Step 9: “We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.”

I’m bringing all of this up because of the response some people had to the new video clip of Steve Burns addressing Blues Clues fans about why he left. Frankly, he was in character and he didn’t reveal any new information, but there was a visceral reaction for some people to get to see him one more time and have some closure. Some highlights of the Twitter reactions:

So some people had a reaction to Steve’s sweet and affirming video. They got closure on something that they didn’t realize they needed closure on. He left kind of abruptly. I remember being impacted by it myself when he left, and I was just a 32-year-old dad who watched it with his kids.

Of course, there are relationships in my life right now that are in need of some closure. In need of making amends. There’s one in particular that I think needs amends on my part, but I have no idea what my offense was. It frustrates me that the person won’t tell me the sin I committed, but whatever I have done, real or perceived, is obviously coming between us.

Father, help me to do what I need to do accept responsibility for the offenses I commit and to reach out to make amends when appropriate and when it won’t cause more harm than good. And help me to extend forgiveness to those who seek to make amends with me. Bring all of this closure for your glory’s sake. Use it to build unity in families, in your body, in communities, and in the world.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 8, 2021 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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2 Corinthians 5:14b-15

05 Apr

2 Corinthians 5:14b-15
Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

Dear God, I’ve always struggled, ever since I was little, with my lack of ability to die to my old life. Not understanding how hard that can be when I was a child, I just thought that I hadn’t done it correctly the last time I tried to die to myself and accept you as my God and savior, so I would “walk the aisle” and do it again. I got saved a lot as a kid.

I guess there’s an addiction aspect to it. I live with an addiction to my human self. It’s a disease, I suppose. I want to be selfish. I want to see the world from my own point of view. I want to judge others to make me feel better about myself. I want to indulge my own desires. Maybe churches should redesign themselves to look more like 12-Step meetings: “Hi, my name is John and I’m a human.” “Hi, John.” My first step is to admit that my life has become unmanageable, I am powerless against my human flesh, and I need a higher power to restore me to sanity.

I was watching a show last night that had a character lose eight years of sobriety. They showed the shame and despair of that moment. He was devastated by his failure and the idea of starting over. He knew he needed his sobriety to live and it really embarrassed him to have to admit his failure to the ones he loves.

Father, help me to be the new creation you want me to be. Help me to admit I am STILL powerless and that I need you to either restore me to sanity or keep me sane at any given moment. Help me to share this message with others who need it.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 5, 2019 in 1 Corinthians

 

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