Lisa sparked something that I've been working on for some time! For those of you who aren't familiar with Plato's Republic I have copied from Wikipedia a quick summary of the Allegory of the Cave which if you've ever read it leaves a lasting impression on your mind!
Plato lets Socrates describe a group of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all of their lives, facing a blank wall. The people watch shadows projected on the wall by things passing in front of a fire behind them, and begin to ascribe forms to these shadows. According to Plato's Socrates, the shadows are as close as the prisoners get to viewing reality. He then explains how the philosopher is like a prisoner who is freed from the cave and comes to understand that the shadows on the wall do not make up reality at all, as he can perceive the true form of reality rather than the mere shadows seen by the prisoners.
Well, for me, that's what coming out of the smoke cloud of Addiction was like! I've been freed from the cave and have come to understand what reality is meant to be by my Creator! I look through the sunshine and see everything in a different sharper, cleaner REAL LIGHT of TRUTH! It's true that I can't get my lung function back, but I'll always be grateful to my Lord for bringing me into the Light! I'm FREE of the Chains of Slavery to Addiction which for so many years, even those short periods of time when I wasn't smoking but still mentally addicted, had me captive, believing that it was reality when in fact, it was only the shadows of a cave!!!
"You are the light of the World! A city set on a Mountain cannot be hidden!" Matt. 5:14
Mt. FREEDOM
Socrates Allegory of the Cave from book 7 of Platos Republic describes best how I am feeling today
