I Can't. God Can. So I'll Let Him.

 

Dear Reader,

“I can't. God can. So I'll let Him.”

Those six simple words have appeared on recovery meeting walls for decades. This morning, after reading four different daily meditations from four different sources, I realized they were all teaching that same profound truth.

This week I have been studying Step Two with a sponsee. As we talked together, I was reminded that this step is not merely about believing that God exists. It is about trusting that God is willing and able to restore us—not only to sobriety, but to spiritual health.

Step Two reads:

“Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”

Another way to express this truth is, “Came to believe that the power of God can restore us to complete spiritual health.” Both statements point to a loving Heavenly Father who remains present in our lives, even when we do not fully understand His power.

The second meditation addressed fear. It reminded me that many of us enter recovery afraid and unable to trust. Over time, we may magnify worries about health, money, work, relationships, jealousy, and especially what others think of us. In my experience, these fears are often larger than reality, even when they contain some truth. I cannot simply will them away. Instead, I slowly discover that trust grows where fear once lived. With God's help, I begin to see more clearly and separate what is real from what is imagined.

The third meditation focused on criticism. It reminded me that, although loving concern may sometimes be needed, criticism often says more about the state of my own heart than about the person I am judging. It is easy to notice someone else's faults while ignoring my own, which may be just as clear—or even greater.

The Savior taught, “First cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.” (Matthew 7:5)

His counsel invites me to humility and honest self-examination so I can serve others with greater compassion.

In my experience, true compassion is nearly impossible without God's love and guidance. He is the perfect example of forgiveness and grace, and the more I receive His mercy, the more capable I become of extending it to others.

The final meditation came from an ancient Eastern spiritual tradition. It suggested that a person truly walking the spiritual path is less concerned with the faults of the world and more attentive to the condition of their own heart. Although expressed differently, it echoes the Savior's invitation to examine our own hearts before judging another.

For me, these four reflections come together as one daily truth: God restores me as I learn to trust Him, face my fears honestly, replace criticism with compassion, and choose humility over pride.

Perhaps sanity is not merely the absence of irrational thinking. Perhaps true sanity is learning to see ourselves, other people, and God as they really are.

The Book of Mormon offers a similar invitation:

“See that ye are not lifted up unto pride... but that ye should have charity toward all men.” (Alma 38:11)

I have found that the closer I draw to God, the less I need to measure others. Instead, I become more aware of the mercy He continually extends to me.

Perhaps this is why the Big Book reminds us that we have only a “daily reprieve contingent on the maintenance of our spiritual condition.”

If I can practice these simple things today—trust God, face my fears honestly, show compassion instead of criticism, and walk humbly—I believe I will rediscover what those simple words have meant to countless people in recovery:

God can.

And because God can...

I don't have to.

For today,

That is enough.

🙏🏻🧘‍♂️💕🤗☮️