Daily Reflections reading January 8th
Do I Have A Choice
The
fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of
choice in drink. Our so-called willpower becomes practically nonexistent. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p.24
My powerlessness over alcohol
does not cease when I quit drinking. In sobriety I still have no choice - I
can’t drink. The choice I do have is to pick up and use the “kit of spiritual
tools” (Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 25). When I do that, my Higher Power relieves
me of my lack of choice - and keeps me sober one more day. If I could choose
not to pick up a drink today, where then would be my need for A.A. or a Higher
Power?
© Alcoholics Anonymous World
Services
My thoughts on January 8th
Reading
“The
fact is that most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of
choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent.”
We have so many tools to help us in recovery I some
times wonder where I would be without them my first tool was given to me at my
first meeting a gift from the group a big book I was
told the answers are all in there between the covers just open it and start
reading
If you need help just ask anyone at any meeting we are all
here to help you stay sober and insure our own sobriety by helping others who
are new this is how the program started one drunk helping another and continues
today
Many other tool like books meetings sponsor
sayings slogans acronyms being active the steps the spirituality of finding a
power greater than oneself and using this power to change The fellowship is a
tool where we come to share our own experience strength and hope
There are so many more tools to recovery and to
a new way of life living sober For us to stay sober we need to give back what
was given to us this is the basics of what AA is all about the fellowship the
12 steps of recovery and the willingness to change ourselves
For me to find this and with out the steps to
guide me into this new way of looking at myself I would just be a sober drunk
and I would still have the same God like qualities of my past I had to learning
about all 12 of the steps not just step one
I found that higher power and began to get a
little sanity thru using step two then the biggie step three Yes I found the
god of my understanding loving and forgiven God who led me right into steps
four and five sure was hard looking at myself thru the eyes of another
But in order to use the rest of my spiritual
tools I needed to do the inventory and share it with another human being this
is where the third step pray came in to my live given myself to God There
are many ways we can enrich our spiritual journey
There is no set path we must follow in order to live a spiritual life we
need to look at them all Journaling is one of the most powerful and useful
tools I had in my spiritual toolbox when I wrote in my journals I was
communicating with myself putting my feelings on paper
Where I could not project on them it also helps with the fourth step I
felt like I was sharing my thoughts goals and concerns with myself later to
share with a sponsor As I dug deeply into my mind I expressed my emotions
The writing helped me to look at my spiritual progress it is great to be
able to sit and read all the earlier writings Then I have the eleventh step
prayer of St Francis this helped me to channel my thoughts and beliefs into a
path to help others it is better to give that to receive
This also helped me to forgive others and myself meditating made me feel
closer to the God of my new understanding and led me to my spiritual Experience
the night I prayed to God to remove the desire to drink and all that was
troubling me
I felt His presents in my life that night I knew He was doing for me what
I could not do myself Felt child like as if He picked me up into His arms and
held me close to Him comforting me tell me every thing is now going to be
alright I am with you
I laid on my mom’s sofa bed for
36 hours to wake up to a sense of peace what I call total serenity as if the
whole world was right and I could always be at peace Yes that night I believed
in a power greater than myself a sense of interconnectedness with all and an
awareness of the purpose and meaning of life and the finding personal values
Although spirituality is
often associated with religion I believe my personal spirituality was found and
developed outside of religion in the halls of AA Acts of compassion and
selflessness and kindness the experience of inner peace are all part of my
personal road to spirituality
God bless you Al M
Please feel free to mail suggestions or comments
