In the past two days I have witnessed the entire range of recovery. From seeing dear friends who are out there in the trenches carrying the message of hope, to working with a wet drunk, who is quite literally dying from this disease, to seeing some of the people I have had the privilege of working with carrying this message. Watching with amazement as the Power of God uses them to reach others...
Thank God for this spiritual program of action. Thank God for people willing to step up. Thank God for this gift. Thank God for Grace...
My life is full, my heart is full, my God absolutely ROCKS!!!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Whose Power?
The first 164 pages of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous give us clear cut directions on how to establish and maintain a connection to the Creator of the Universe. That gives us POWER. But it is not our Power. It is God's Power, we only have a connection to it. It is all we need. If we had power then we wouldn't need God.
So the next time, we catch ourselves thinking that the fact we have a lot of sponsees or a really old sobriety date makes us special or immune to this disease, we need to remember that this Power belongs to God. And if we want to experience it, then we better do what the book says to do to establish and maintain that connection, every day.
We think because we get to speak all over the place, we are immune. Or we sponsor alot of people, or we have been sober for years, or we are too old to do service work. If we are not working and reworking the steps of AA, talking to a sponsor, being accountable to other recovered people, we are in real danger.
My sponsor has taught me that I cannot live off of spiritual experiences of the past any better than I can live off of a cheese burger I ate last week.
If we are not connected then we usually go one of two directions, we get arrogant and full of sober pride. That makes us go into the meetings and pontificate to the newcomer.
Or, if things aren't going our way we get full of self pity, remorse and false humility. Then we go into the meetings and announce how we are powerless over people, places and things. How we are just barely suffering through, one miserable day at a time.
Either way we are thinking about ourselves. Why don't we go in and we talk about the greatest book ever written. How about we go share the good stuff God has given us.
If I am sharing my experience and it doesn't line up with the big book of AA, maybe I should shut up.
If I can't share hope maybe I should just listen.
If you want to share your opinions, if you must share about your feelings, then please contain yourself until after the meeting. If you are full of remorse and self pity, then I almost guarantee you will be able to find an arrogant, opinionated jerk that will tell you what to do and then you will both be happy. Hell it might be me....
But seriously, if you want a solution or want to share the solution then, welcome!!! AA needs you!!!
So the next time, we catch ourselves thinking that the fact we have a lot of sponsees or a really old sobriety date makes us special or immune to this disease, we need to remember that this Power belongs to God. And if we want to experience it, then we better do what the book says to do to establish and maintain that connection, every day.
We think because we get to speak all over the place, we are immune. Or we sponsor alot of people, or we have been sober for years, or we are too old to do service work. If we are not working and reworking the steps of AA, talking to a sponsor, being accountable to other recovered people, we are in real danger.
My sponsor has taught me that I cannot live off of spiritual experiences of the past any better than I can live off of a cheese burger I ate last week.
If we are not connected then we usually go one of two directions, we get arrogant and full of sober pride. That makes us go into the meetings and pontificate to the newcomer.
Or, if things aren't going our way we get full of self pity, remorse and false humility. Then we go into the meetings and announce how we are powerless over people, places and things. How we are just barely suffering through, one miserable day at a time.
Either way we are thinking about ourselves. Why don't we go in and we talk about the greatest book ever written. How about we go share the good stuff God has given us.
If I am sharing my experience and it doesn't line up with the big book of AA, maybe I should shut up.
If I can't share hope maybe I should just listen.
If you want to share your opinions, if you must share about your feelings, then please contain yourself until after the meeting. If you are full of remorse and self pity, then I almost guarantee you will be able to find an arrogant, opinionated jerk that will tell you what to do and then you will both be happy. Hell it might be me....
But seriously, if you want a solution or want to share the solution then, welcome!!! AA needs you!!!
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