Daily
Reflections reading October 21st
Nothing
Grows In The Dark
We
will want the good that is in us all, even in the worst of us, to flower and to
grow. AS BILL SEES IT, p. 10
With
the self-discipline and insight gained from practicing Step Ten, I begin to
know the gratifications of sobriety — not as mere abstinence from alcohol, but
as recovery in every department of my life. I renew hope, regenerate faith, and
regain the dignity of self-respect. I discover the word “and” in the phrase
“and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.” Reassured that I am no longer
always wrong, I learn to accept myself as I am, with a new sense of the
miracles of sobriety and serenity.
© Alcoholics Anonymous World Services
My thoughts on October 21st Reading
Self-searching does bring new vision and action to bear upon
the dark and negative side of my old life style it did give me the humility
making it possible for me to receive and to accept God's help
I always wanted the good to flower and to grow but I wanted
the worst to be taken away
When I surrendered AA planted seeds deep into the soil of
AA, these seeds were in the dark just like I was until the tears of my painful
past watered them they geminated and started to grow towards the sunlight, this
freed me from that pain of the past
I sure needed that sunlight of God’s love to flourish,
because as the reading says nothing much can grow in the dark prayer and
meditation was the only way I could step out into the sunlight of God’s love
and His will for me
Having gotten this far to step Eleven it's safe to assume
that I have made a pretty good effort at turning my will and my life over to
the care of God I have had the opportunity to deepen my connection and begin to
live my life on a spiritual plane
I find a lot of comfort in trusting the God of my own
understanding, this does not mean I have to give up all desires for material
goods, the work I long to do, in fact this God of my understanding wants far
more for me than I could possibly imagine
A conscious contact with God is awareness that there is
something more to life than what is in my face at the moment, hard times fall
on us, these need to be accepted with serenity, this is where pray comes into
my life being careful just what I do pray for today
Step Eleven points to a regular practice of some sort, such
a practice may be as simple as a quick “make me a channel” type of prayer, or
thy will not mine be done, said with my first cup of coffee doing some sort of
meditation on a daily basis
Trying to listen to what Gods will is for me and to try to
carry this out, my sponsor told me if you're not sure how you want to practice your
spirituality, ask others both in and out of the program, read the big book, the
twelve steps & twelve traditions try a meditation or two
This is a case of “ask and you shall receive” remember
willingness is the only key you need to open the door to the God I have to
watch out for fear, or anger, building to resentment, trying not to get to
wrapped up in my own small problems of the day
It helped me when I learned to plan without demanding, or
even expecting things to be a particular outcome, some call it personal
responsibility, others like myself simply say it's growing up towards that
sunlight of the spirit
So working with some sort of regular practice can go a long
way toward helping me see myself and my world, it is clearly a definite move
toward God’s will for me, I know God never gave me more than I could handle in
any one day when the one days are strung together, more prayer and mediation is
needed to carry me thru the hard times
Some like myself did not believe in any type of God when we arrived
into that darkness, this for me is not an obstacle, it should not ever be an
obstacle in anyone’s own personal belief in chosen a higher power prayer and
meditation are the important factors in this decision
God bless you Al M
Please
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