Graduating from the school of life’s addictions

My oldest daughter celebrated 18 months of sobriety on Jan. 21st.
I will give her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt (her addictions). Hosea 2:15

A ceremony and a big party usually mark Graduation Day as someone graduates from High School or College. But what if you daughter has taken the long road of education in the “school of life’s addictions”?
My oldest daughter has wrestled with a drug and cocaine addiction that her own father started her on as a child. It has been a stronghold that caused much pain to her and our family. Even though I had divorced her father his influence lived on in the pain of her lifestyle. Finally, at age 42 she took the steps to stay in a Treatment Facility for long enough to be able to come out from the grip of these bondages and begin to live a normal life.
So what do you say at a different sort of commencement ceremony?
In a letter I wrote her, I rephrased the words to an old blessing to fit the occasion
Dear Sweet Regina,

I am very proud and happy that this day of commencement has come for you. It is an example of God working all things for good once more in your life. He is the God of second (third, fourth and more) chances, as you well know.

I pray the Lord be your helper and protect you from harm and addictions that call.

I pray the Lord save up from your affliction and have mercy on your lowliness

I pray the Lord raise you up from where you had fallen

I pray the Lord come to your neediness

Heal what needs to be healed

Restore where you have wandered from Him

Feed your spirit

Ransom what has been lost

Help you to rise up from the sickbed of the past and walk

Straight, firmly and with His strength

So that you may teach the weak and faint-hearted about the

True comfort of His love for you.

(My version of a prayer written by Clement of Rome 1st Century)

Welcome, honey to your new life. And know I will always love you.

 A daughter is your child no matter how old she is and how far she strays and I am truly grateful the Lord has given her a new start
Donna Collins Tinsley

This scripture sums up my feelings about the subject:
My heart rejoices in the LORD!

The LORD has made me strong.
Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me. No one is holy like the LORD!
There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.1 Samuel 2:1-2