Recovered: How an Accident, Alcohol, and Addiction Led Me to God by Robby Gallaty A Book Review By Donna J. Wright

When I received this book as part of a launch team, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read it. As someone who has never smoked, drank alcohol, or abused drugs, what could I learn from it that would enrich my life? I mean, I know the guy and he does get saved at some point and then all that before Christ stuff is forgiven. It is over and doesn’t matter because God has forgiven it. Right? So why read it?

I was regretting asking to be on the launch team. I had avoided reading the book up to the point that I needed to read it fast so I could meet a deadline. I’d agreed to write a review (what you are reading). So, I picked it up and started reading a story I fully expected to be predictable since I had read a mini version in one of Gallaty's earlier books, Growing Up.

Here’s the deal: I could not put it down. I read it in two evenings. Turns out, I had a lot to learn if I think I’m going to be able to minister to people who need Jesus to save them out of drugs and alcohol—any addiction. Many people have their lives turned upside down and side-ways by drugs and alcohol. My present struggle with my diet and weight loss is an everyday reminder that we all are susceptible to addictions that can wreck our life and health.

Robby’s story was very relatable since I live on the gulf coast. The locations are familiar and I’ve met some of the people who were mentioned. While that helped me stay focused, it was the story that was riveting. I know that Gallaty is a pastor right now and this story, not many years ago, makes the ending that I already know so improbable. How did it happen? Read for yourself. 

I often tell people who are experiencing problems that our God is in the “putting people back together business.” He created us and when we mess up, He can fix it. Only God can fix it those problems out of the reach of money, technique, or talent. I have seen this true in my own life, in my family, and now in Robby Gallaty. I learned from reading this book. Pick it up and read it. Get it here  

Television is Not Real Life

Television is not real life.

I am my worst critic. I never do anything exactly as I envision it. Plans don’t turn out. I have a great idea but then can’t figure out how to implement it. I run out of time. I have a messy desk. You know the drill.

Television is a great escape. It is not real life. There are some advantages though. I can escape my imperfect life by watching television. I have discovered a plan to make myself feel satisfied and confident with my imperfect self.

If my house is dirty and needs a good cleaning, I watch “Hoarders.” My house looks beautifully clean compared to the filled to the brim, smelly, and garbage-filled places on that show. 

If I am feeling overweight, I watch “My 1,000 pound Life.” Some might say watch “The Biggest Loser,” but they exercise way more than me on that show (The new season is filmed at Glorieta for all my Baptist friends who know where that is). My meals look healthy and healthy-portioned compared to the diets of those having big-time weight issues. In comparison, I feel smugly superior (and thin).

If I think my marriage is not what it could be, I watch “90-Day Fiance.” Actually, I only watched “90 Day Fiance” once, last night. It was like a train wreck in slow motion. I could not look away. I don’t think I will watch again—too stressful and they can’t hear my advice through the tv set (they need it desperately).

If I am impatient, I watch a Hallmark movie. In only two hours, they can move from lonely, depressed, widow to happily married parents. It is the most optimistic ending on television. If you even have an inkling that the happy ending won’t occur, just look at the clock and know the resolution will come in under the two-hour mark.

If I think my life is too complicated, I watch “24” (I know that is an older show but we have the DVD set—a gift from my husband). Or, I just watch some intense crime drama or movie where the world is about to be blown up by a thermonuclear device or martial law has been declared. When it ends, I get up and start supper in my happily mundane, peaceful life.

Television is an escape, but it is not life. Life is real with relationships to be nurtured, meals to prepare, and jobs to go to. I have gone through periods in life where I watched very little television—there was one time where I watched only two shows: “Magnum, P.I.” and “Simon and Simon.” The older I get, the more tired physically I am at the end of the day and I have gravitated to adding some shows to watch regularly. My husband has found a few we both like (our taste in television is mostly opposite). We both like the British Baking Show, the Kid’s Baking Shows, Home Town . . . you get the picture. At the end of the day we can relax and let someone else stress out.

But I have to fight against letting that television run my life. My husband watches zero sports but knew it was Super Bowl Sunday. He figured I would watch it. He doesn’t know the difference between leagues or teams or stuff like that. I don’t watch the NFL unless I am just missing college football. We decided to order Chinese so I wouldn’t have to cook. I didn’t end up watching but about two minutes of the game sometime in the 3^rd quarter. I did watch parts of the Puppy Bowl and the Kitten Bowl--the puppies were way better, read two chapters in two different books, and prepared an email church newsletter. It was a pretty good Super Bowl Sunday. And, I didn’t let the television tell me what to do or what to buy or how to feel. I am in charge. And, I am happy that television is not real life.

Photo by Francisco Andreotti on Unsplash

 [This is like a television I owned from 1977 until 2004. I got it from my parents for graduating high school to take off to college. Believe it or not, only a few folks had a tv in their rooms in college. It had a giant 7-inch black & white screen, picked up great with only the antenna on top--had a big hole in the back where I tripped over the cord and pulled it into the floor in the mid 80's but it still worked. Our neighbor borrowed it every time he wanted to tune his satellite dish himself in the 90's. We gave it to him when we moved to Mobile.]