Judging a Christian By Its Cover

 I just spent three days at a cabin in Tennessee with Tom and his wife. He was the best man in my wedding 47 years ago. We keep in occasional contact. This week, we hiked, visited the Museum of the Appalachians, and caught up on each others' lives.

I would label Tom a SuperChristian. He readily shares his faith, and when he talks about someone he usually tells if they are Christian or not. I knew he bought my book on recovering from alcoholism (Corking the Bottle, https://covenantbooks.com/books/?book=corking-the-bottle) and worried that my views on organized religion and spirituality would be offensive to him, and that he wouldn't hesitate to let me know.

To my relief, that didn't happen. He said he read my book, or to be more accurate, his wife read it to him because he has problems with his eyes. He told me he thought the book was good. I explained that admitting my addiction to alcohol was  hard to do, but was necessary to put myself in a position where I can help others.

I've received nothing but support and encouragement from friends, acquaintances, Facebook friends, and Tom. My advice to you is don't be afraid to come out of the closet and admit to drinking while you were hiding in that closet. Yes. I know a woman in AA who admits to hiding in the closet while she drank. Don't be her.