Spiritual Awakening

Our 12th Step says "Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps..." I used to wonder what the difference was between a spiritual experience and a spiritual awakening. Stupid me, trying to over complicate and over analyze as usual.


Today I know that I my life has been chalked full of spiritual events. People died, kids were born, flowers grew, stars came out, the sun rose and set several times during the first 51 years of my life. Were these spiritual experiences? Nope. Why? Because it is hard to experience anything on a spiritual level when you are spiritually asleep.

The only way I know to wake up is to work the 12 steps, all of them in order with a sponsor. The only way I know to stay awake is to continue to work them every day.

Now that I am awake, I am aware, I am conscious. The Big Book says the consciousness of the Presence of God is the most important fact of my life today. (Page 51) God has been present through my entire life. But I was asleep, lost in a nightmare of selfishness and self centeredness.


My sponsor says if I want to stay sober I have to continue to have spiritual experiences, I can't live off the ones in my past. I need to stay awake. I guess I better call him. I guarantee you one thing; he is awake!!!