Grace That Waits With Open Arms

There are days when I look back on my life and think, Surely this was the time God would have walked away.
The promises I broke.
The habits I swore I was done with.
The moments I knew better—and still chose wrong.

And yet, every single time, God was still there.

Not disappointed and distant.
Not cold or withholding.
But waiting—with arms open wide.

That is the goodness of God.

We live in a world that teaches us love must be earned. Mess up too many times and people leave. Cross the line once too often and grace runs out. But God does not love like the world loves. His faithfulness is not dependent on my consistency. His grace is not fragile. It does not shatter when I stumble again.

I have messed up time and time again. I have prayed prayers of surrender and then picked the same chains back up. I have felt the weight of shame whisper, This time you’ve gone too far. But shame is a liar, and God’s Word is true.

Scripture tells us that His mercies are new every morning—not new only when we get it right, but new every single day. Even the days we wish we could erase.

Addiction is hard. Recovery is hard. Life itself can feel unbearably heavy. There are moments when staying sober feels like a battle fought one breath at a time. There are days when faith feels thin and hope feels distant. But here is what I am learning: God is better.

Better than the cravings.
Better than the guilt.
Better than the version of myself I keep trying to fix on my own.

God does not meet us on the other side of perfection. He meets us in the middle of our mess. He steps into the places we are most ashamed of and says, You are still Mine.

I used to think grace meant God tolerated me. Now I understand it means He delights in restoring me.

Every relapse, every failure, every detour did not surprise Him. And none of them disqualified me. God is not standing with crossed arms, waiting for me to prove myself. He is standing with open hands, offering strength where mine runs out.

Sobriety is not just about what we walk away from—it’s about who we walk toward. And every step I take toward God, even the shaky ones, is met with faithfulness. When I fall, He lifts me. When I wander, He calls me back. When I am weak, He remains strong.

This is the hope I cling to:
I am not held together by my willpower.
I am held by grace.

If you are reading this and you feel like you’ve failed too many times, let me remind you of the truth—God has not given up on you. He is not tired of forgiving you. His love has not run dry. His arms are still open.

Addictions may be hard.
Life may be hard.
But God is better.

And He is faithful to finish what He started—even in us.