Step 11: “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.”

Step 11 is where I live today.

For me, recovery didn’t end when I left treatment. If anything, it became more real. You don’t leave Renascent and suddenly you’re “done” – recommitting to recovery is something I do every day.

Seeking connection with a higher power through prayer and reflection, as outlined in Step 11, is a big part of my life now. I’m a Christian, but it’s not really about that. Whatever your higher power is, you have to nurture your relationship with it like it’s a baby. You need to commit and watch it grow.

My connection with God often shows up in small, consistent ways. I go back to the Step 7 prayer a lot, which asks God to remove my character defects. Impatience is a big one for me, and I still catch myself standing in line and getting frustrated. But over time, my relationship with a higher power has changed how I see things.

I don’t feel like a victim anymore. Things aren’t being done “to” me; they just happen, and I’m part of the world just like everyone else. That shift has made me less defensive and more open. My faith reminds me there are different ways to look at a situation, and I don’t have to react the way I used to.

More than anything, Step 11 is how I keep growing. It’s about continuing to build and deepen the most important relationship in my life, one day at a time.

Read Candis’ Story: “There is a totally different life out there.”