Picture a clear, natural mountain spring that flows constantly down into a wide valley. Because its fresh waters are continually moving outward to nourish the trees and fields below, the spring remains crisp, pure, and bursting with life. But if a barrier is built to stop the flow, trapping all the water in one spot, that pristine pool eventually turns into a stagnant, algae-covered pond where life decays. In active addiction, our lives were completely blocked, stagnant ponds obsessed entirely with what we could demand, extract, and hoard from the world. Having experienced a spiritual awakening, we are called to pull down the barriers and become a flowing spring. True, lasting freedom is maintained not by keeping our recovery to ourselves, but by pouring it out for others. When we model our lives after Jesus and step into humble service, we break self-centered stagnation, multiply our own hope, and bring life to everyone we reach. | 
