Daily Reflections reading December 3rd
In All
Our Affairs
we
tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in
all our affairs. TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 106
I find
that carrying the message of recovery to other alcoholics is easy because it
helps me to stay sober and it provides me with a sense of well-being about my
own recovery. The hard part is practicing these principles in all my affairs.
It is important that I share the benefits I receive from A.A., especially at
home. Doesn’t my family deserve the same patience, tolerance and understanding
I so readily give to the alcoholic? When reviewing my day I try to ask, “Did I
have a chance to be a friend today and miss it?” ” Did I have a chance to rise
above a nasty situation and avoid it?” “Did I have a chance to say ‘I’m sorry,’
and refuse to?” Just as I ask God for help with my alcoholism each day, I ask
for help in extending my recovery to include all situations and all people!
©
Alcoholics Anonymous World Services
My
thoughts on December 3rd Reading
Step twelve is having a spiritual
awakening as the result of all twelve step steps, we try to carry this message
to alcoholics, God can do for me what I could not do for myself if I let him, I
needed to practice these principles in all my life’s challenges
Step Twelve is about carrying the message
from one alcoholic to another alcoholic it is how the program started, has
grown and how most of us came to recovery, Twelve Step work can be exciting and
rewarding if done willingly
A spiritual awakening as a result of
practicing all twelve of the Steps there’s nothing in this step that calls for
delay, or getting ready for an inventory, or hedging on amends, an awakening is
the result of working and living all the Twelve Steps into our lives
Practicing the principles is simply the
continuing use of the steps to keep us right sized and attuned to Gods will for
us on a daily basis, it's a daily practice formal and informal, over time it
becomes a part of us, acting as our ground to living one day at a time
It is with this awakening and practice
that gives us not only freedom from our alcoholism, but the serenity to accept
things as they are, it is this awakening and practice that let's us move in our
world with confidence, knowing that our skin fits and we can deal with all that
life hands us
Carrying the message of recovery to
others is what the program is all about, back in the early days the program
grew mostly by word of mouth, one drunk talking to another, in those days there
was much more shame associated with alcoholism, even admitting the disease was
a stigma
It was also recognized that a recovering
alcoholic often got much better results working with another practicing drunk,
than did the professional people, when I tell my story to a fellow drunk it is
easer for him to identify with me, they can believe me easer than with a
counselor
The secret is telling the truth about
what it was like and being willing to listen to what they are saying, or
answering question that are on their minds, being new to recovery I wanted to
get everyone sober, I was convinced that anyone who asked for my help really
wanted it.
Sadly this wasn't true, some come and
just aren't ready to let go of their addiction, it took me time and almost
getting drunk to realize that my job was to carry the message as best I could,
but not get caught up in the mess, the results belonged to the other person and
their God
There are lots of ways to get involved
with this type of 12 Step work, we can reach out to a new comer volunteer to
help them, or take a meeting into a jail, or other institution, or give our
name to the Central Office or Inter-group that fields calls for help
Carrying the message and being willing to
carry the message means we have a message to carry, and for me it has always
been the message "God can do for
us what we can not do for ourselves, if only we let Him" before we can
give it back we have to learn how to by going thru all twelve steps
God bless you Al M
Please feel free to mail
suggestions or comments
