Daily
Reflections reading December 69th
Love With No Price Tag
When
the Twelfth Step is seen in its full implication, it is really talking about
the kind of love that has no price tag on it.
(Twelve
Steps and Twelve Traditions Page 106 )
In
order for me to start working the Twelfth Step, I had to work on sincerity,
honesty, and to learn to act with humility. Carrying the message is a gift of
myself, no matter how many years of sobriety I may have accumulated. My dreams
can become reality. I solidify my sobriety by sharing what I have received
freely. As I look back to that time when I began my recovery, there was already
a seed of hope that I could help another drunk pull himself out of his
alcoholic mire. My wish to help another drunk is the key to my spiritual
health. But I never forget that God acts through me. I am only His instrument.
Even
if the other person is not ready, there is success, because my effort in his
behalf has helped me to remain sober and to become stronger. To act, to never
grow weary in my Twelfth Step work, is the key. If I am capable of laughing
today, let me not forget those days when I cried. God reminds me that I can
feel compassion!
©
Alcoholics Anonymous World Services
My thoughts on December 9th Reading
"Then we resolutely turn our thoughts to someone we can
help. Love and tolerance of others is our code. And we have ceased fighting
anything or anyone - even alcohol. For by this time sanity will have returned.
" Page 84 Big Book
I have love & tolerance for most people now, but at
times there can be one or two that will get to me, or I want to reach over and
give them a good wake up kind of thing, I saw in the beginning that my
intolerance toward others had been
Because I did not like things about them, that I didn't see
until later working the steps, are the same things I did not like about myself,
I saw the truth behind some of the intolerance I had toward others, it was fear
in me like I was threatened in some way by them
Love is a gift that must be given freely, there is nothing I
can do to control someone else's choice to love me, or not love me, all I can
do each day is to give unconditional love as best I can, it is up to those I
give the love to if they accept it or not
Some times it is difficult to find honesty, forgiveness,
patience, and tolerance in myself but I do need these to give love, the steps
teach us to trust enough to take risks and let go, love is a risk that's worth,
I don't need to be perfect to be accepted and loved by others
I don't need to expect perfection from others to love and
accept them, it helps to just get out there and do things, so I don’t feel
paralyzed and believe that I can only be cured, of my disease when God's truth
comes into my life
Undertaking little acts of unconditional love and kindness
daily, can set in motion a chain reaction that builds energy and
self-confidence, love is not just a feeling, but a reaching out, love is doing
things for others, this is what the twelve steps teach us
Today I believe I am loved unconditionally and I need to
give this love back to others, I needed to get out of myself, love is a two-way
street, giving as well as receiving I feel the love of my fellow suffers and I
can return the love
I learn to do this by working the Twelve Step into my own
life, I can also learn by listening to others and giving feedback, it is good
to give, as well as receive, being sober means I have discovered the power of
God's unconditional love working in my life
Today I am open to this unconditional love that has been
there for me all along, I feel the love from friends, I notice and enjoy the
love that comes to me from family, I feel all the love in Sandy's heart for me
and I give this love back to her daily
Moving through the Twelve Steps developed new ability to
love unconditionally when my pride and guilt are in check, I can relate to
those we care about me, AA gives me tools to change my live and helped me to
escape the torment of my disease
Growing in the program, I love more and give more in return,
I am given peace and serenity, I would never have if I continued down the path
of destruction I was walking on, it is easy to love people who have walked that
path before me
Today I have the teachings of the fellowship and the unconditional
love of my God who has taught me
Unconditional love for everyone, now that don't mean I have
to like everything that people do but if I do not keep the attitude of love for
all, including love and forgiveness for myself
Then I start to regress back to that ruler of the universe
again, wanting to do things my way, judging everyone by my standards, so for me
unconditional love has to go out to all, even when I do not ever want to be
like that person,
I can still today love them for what they could become with
the help of people who have been there
Today I do not have to accept there unacceptable behavior
and I do not have to change them, I only have to change my attitude towards
them to one of love and hope for their future
I also don't have to let them have any free space in my head
to screw me up to each his own I give my love freely and unconditionally, what
you do with it is your business, best of all I can honesty say that today I do
love myself as much as I love others
God bless you Al M
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suggestions or comments
