Daily Reflections reading August
30th
The Only Requirement
“At one time. . .every A.A. group had many
membership rules. Everybody was scared witless that something or somebody would
capsize the boat. . .The total list was a mile long. If all those rules had
been in effect everywhere, nobody could have possibly joined A.A. at all. . .” TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 139-40
I’m grateful that the Third Tradition only requires of me a desire to stop drinking. I had been breaking promises for years. In the Fellowship I didn’t have to make promises, I didn’t have to concentrate. It only required my attending one meeting, in a foggy condition, to know I was home. I didn’t have to pledge undying love. Here, strangers hugged me. “It gets better,” they said, and “One day at a time, you can do it.” They were no longer strangers, but caring friends. I ask God to help me to reach out to people desiring sobriety, and to, please, keep me grateful!
© Alcoholics Anonymous World Services
My thoughts on August 30th
Reading
I have shared this many times and I have
to keep sharing this so I never forget I am human Tradition Three The ONLY
requirement for A.A. membership is a DESIRE to stop drinking I had to change
and show the newcomers of today their experiences, what ever they are must be
shared in their own way, not mine or anyone else’s,
Theirs may be different but who's isn't I
must give people the same kind of unconditional love forgiveness, understanding
and most importantly tolerance the same things I received when I arrived at the
doors change is an absolute growth is optional I must continue to grow with the
rest of you or I will parish in a sea of drug addiction, like so many others
did before me
Yes!!! Addiction from the drug alcohol as
well as street drugs, or prescription drugs WE can not hide behind a screen and
only look at one part of our problems to tell someone especially a newcomer, in
an open forum, like on the floor of a speaker meeting or in an open discussion
meeting, they don't belong can only add to their bewilderment
It is embarrassing and humiliating to
have someone being ostracized, because they are different than some of us, my
son was treated this way in a meeting, he was sharing his ESH on the podium my
son a full blown alcoholic, trying to share his experience what happen to Him
how he found the doors of AA,
Like so many others in AA today he
started out with drugs and turned to alcohol as he was sharing what happened to
him a bleeding deacon told him to sit down because, THEY did not care about his
drugs, he had three months sober from alcohol and was trying the AA way of life
He never went back to an AA since this
happened and now he needs a liver transplant because of cirrhosis did this
bleeding deacon help him stay sober?????????????
I share this because I do not want anyone
to ever think they do not belong in our meetings only you can say if you belong
or not when I hear these comments at meetings "you don't belong I don't
want to here about drugs I know how hopeless and despairing this can be to that
person suffering from the dual addiction
To feel like he was to be cast out before
anyone could get to know who or what he was these remarks could cause the death
of a person who needs all our help to overcome the very disease we suffer from
to me as a member of AA for the past thirty-five + years, it is embarrassing
and humiliating to have someone being ostracized because they are a little
different than me
Tradition three shows us that we've
thrown away all membership rules and regulations that might keep you out I want
you to have the same chance for sobriety that I had AA decided to be
inclusive.... never exclusive so for me if you say you belong it is good enough
for me, I Welcome all to AA for it is what this tradition is all about
God bless you
Please feel free to mail
suggestions or comments
