Daily
Reflections reading January 4th
Begin Where You Are
We
feel that elimination of our drinking is but a beginning. A much more important
demonstration of our principles lies before us in our respective homes, occupations
and affairs. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.19
It’s
usually pretty easy for me to be pleasant to the people in an A.A. setting.
While I’m working to stay sober, I’m celebrating with my fellow A.A.s our
common release from the hell of drinking. It’s often not so hard to spread glad
tidings to my old and new friends in the program. At home or at work, though,
it can be a difference story. It is in situations arising in both of those
areas that the little day-to-day frustrations are most evident, and where it
can be tough to smile or reach out with a kind word or an attentive ear. It’s
outside of the A.A. rooms that I face the real test of the effectiveness of my
walk through A.A.’s Twelve Steps.
© Alcoholics Anonymous World Services
My thoughts on January 4th Reading
Begin where you are, I began when I surrender to alcohol and
accepted my life was hopelessly and totally unmanageable this was just a mere
beginning of my recovery, was its the beginning of a fantastic way of life I
never thought possible before I walk thru the doors of AA
Anyone who thinks this is a program to just take and then
move on with other parts of there lives is just fooling themselves and are
playing with there lives, the fellowship is a mixed bag of nuts all coming
together for sobriety
Where would we give this program back if we did not have a
fellowship, a place to seek help and give help, it is the fellowship that makes
this a living plan for continued recovery a new way of life
We all start right where we are when we walk into the halls
Where else could we find true Friends, ones who would stand
by us in adversity, or travel hundreds of mile just to met us and share a
moment in time to cherish forever, I know I was alone too long and I needed the
strength that comes only from the fellowship
I needed the power of the group, a God of my understanding,
to help me thru my whole life, hope and unconditional love is our strength, it
comes from caring about our fellow sufferers, to many have been in that dark
and lonely place they are our hope and we are their hope
Only they understand fellowship and are our brothers and
sisters of the spirit of the program, they understand, they do not condemn us,
they have compassion that comes from given back, we have this bond of love
trust and friendship, in our common bonds of being in recovery
As I learn how to trust I participated in a new friendship,
given me understanding strength and love, I need your support and I always have
found it through my program, in my home group, both on line and face to face
who understand the meaning of the spirit of fellowship
Brotherly love for all, with out all the people who came
before me, I would not have stayed sober thank God for AA and thank God that
others are finding the same trust and love I have found in the Twelve Steps
showing us how to reach out to others
I am fortunate enough to enjoy recovery, I know I must be
vigilant and protect it, my freedom carries responsibility, I willingly accept
it because I know that in recovery I have the chance to live and grow AA gave
me the opportunity to make the best of my life
To those who are in need, alcoholism denies the freedom to
be fully themselves, and fully alive, people cannot be free and sane if their
lives are ruled by alcoholism, by carrying our program to others, I can help
them return to sanity and spiritual freedom
I have known people new to recovery, who enter the program
only to encounter an enormous crisis or difficulty, it's tempting at that point
to question the changeable nature of life, sometimes this change inflicts blows
when someone is already down
I have known some who refused, or were unable to hear the
message being offered at our meeting, it takes wisdom, patience, and detachment
to know when to reach out to someone, and how far to go
I have to respect that person's options
I have faith in my Higher Power, He can help me do my part
and then I have to let go, we feel a bond with others as we laugh together, at
some piece of folly or a witty joke through laughter I am brought closer to
other, people alcoholism isolated me and did drive me into myself
Friends are one of the greatest gifts of our recovery, and
they come as a result of a life that's sane and manageable, it does take time
and energy to make and keep good friends, but the rewards are worth it life
long friends are hard to find
God bless you Al M
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