Daily Reflections reading August 9th

Of All Persons We Had Harmed

and became willing to make amends to them all.” TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 77

One of the key words in the Eighth Step is the word all. I am not free to select a few names for the list and to disregard others. It is a list of all persons I have harmed. I can see immediately that this Step entails forgiveness because if I’m not willing to forgive someone, there is little chance I will place his name on the list. Before I placed the first name on my list, I said a little prayer: “I forgive anyone and everyone who has ever harmed me at any time and under any circumstances.” It is well for me to contemplate a small, but very significant, two-letter word every time the Lord’s Prayer is said. The word is as. I ask, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” In this case, as means, “in the same manner.” I am asking to be forgiven in the same manner that I forgive others. As I say this portion of the prayer, if I am harboring hatred or resentment, I am inviting more resentment, when I should be calling on the spirit of forgiveness.

My thoughts on August 9th Reading

Made amends to all the people on my list of harms I made wherever and whenever possible except when to do so would injure them or others. Step 9 was to apologize humbly and sincerely to every one I had hurt in my past

Being responsible for the damage I did it was necessary to clear the wreckage of my past So I could really let go of the past and move on to my new life booze free making amends was one of the most difficult to do fear of the unknown was always there

It’s one thing to make a list of the people I hurt as I did in step eight that was painful but to go to those people in person and actually admit what I did and ask for forgiveness that just scared the hell out of me then to try to make it right with my apology

Never mind some of the restitution I need to make for stiffing some of my creditors It was tempting to skimp on this but I thought that with everyone step some of the people I harmed didn't actually realize I had cause problems for them

I still needed to make those amends anything that bothered me was an amend to make There were times I could not apologize because to do so would cause more harm my sponsor was a big help he showed me the right way to go in these matters of harms

He helped me to be honest as to who the amends would hurt its not about me If I did not know how to reach some there was not much I could do but stay willing for me it was important to get this done as soon as possible and doing it right

I had to get the bulk of my amends done as soon as possible with out hurting anyone my family my friends my co-workers creditors were the first and easiest for me confronting and making amends for my mistakes freed me form that bondage of myself

God was with me every step of the way today I thank Him and my sponsor for the strength to take these action in steps four thru nine it really set me free to start practicing all the steps in my daily life step one two three were decision step now step ten eleven and twelve are the living steps

God bless you Al M

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