Daily
Reflections reading December 1st
Suggested Steps
Our
Twelfth Step also says that as a result of practicing all the Steps, we have
each found something called a spiritual awakening. . . A.A.’s manner of making ready
to receive this gift lies in the practice of the Twelve Steps in our program.
TWELVE STEPS AND TWELVE TRADITIONS, p. 106-107
I
remember my sponsor’s answer when I told him that the Steps were “suggested.”
He replied that they are “suggested” in the same way that, if you were to jump
out of an airplane with a parachute, it is “suggested” that you pull the
ripcord to save your life. He pointed out that it was “suggested” I practice
the Twelve Steps, if I wanted to save my life. So I try to remember daily that
I have a whole program of recovery based on all Twelve of the “suggested”
Steps.
© Alcoholics Anonymous World Services
My thoughts on December 1st Reading
I could stay sober by just going to meetings and not doing
the steps, it can be done but for me I wanted more than just to be sober I
wanted that peace and serenity of recovery and for me the 12 steps have taught
me a wonderful new way to of life
With out the steps to guide me into this new way of life I
would just be a sober drunk I would still have the same God like qualities I
thought I had before learning about all twelve steps not just step one I found
that higher power and began to get a little sanity thru using step two
Then the hardest step for me step three, I still had the
problem of trusting in the God of AA's understanding, I just was not sure I
wanted a God in my life, but after hearing everyone telling me about this God
of my understanding, loving and forgiven I accepted Him into my life
This led me right into step four I was told you only made
the decision to turn your life over in step three now you need to take the
action to find out just what your turning over to this new found God I baulked
again taken a moral inventory
Right back to my religious beliefs moral scared me until I
was told morel is nothing more that what’s right or wrong in your life your
assets and devastates, there should be a balance in these taken the fourth step
so you do not get bogged down with all your character defect or shortcomings
After doing this fourth step in writing I then went to my
sponsor to share it with and also to get his input on what else I needed to do
in other word where I may not have be honest with the inventory
He was a big help in the beginning to help me keep honest
with what I had down on paper he also asked me to write out what part I played
in some of the things I thought others had done to me, this is all about my
mistakes not those of others in my life
God, my sponsor and people in the fellowship helped me thru
the fear, guilt, and remorse of my past
They showed me in step six I had to become entirely ready to
have God remove all these defects of character this took some thought was I
really ready to lose them all
This just took me into step seven I humbly ask God to remove
these character defects and short comings to help me recover from this disease,
to help me change my old behaviors change my attitude to that of gratitude
Next was step eight making my list and, refining my list,
with the help of that other human being, taking another good look, at my part,
in the hurt I caused, I proceeded to take a better look at my inventory, to see
who I needed to make amends to
This lead me right into step nine, with God’s help, and the
help of my new friends, started to make direct amends to everyone, wherever
possible except when to do so would cause them or others harm. When making
these amends I asked for forgiveness for the harms done.
Now I just had to I continued to write a daily inventory, or
in some cases make a spot check of what was going on in my life at the moment,
when I was wrong promptly admitted it, asking for forgiveness when it hurt
others or myself
I now had a daily reprieve to make amends for mistakes of
the present and step eleven I use every day to ask for His guidance to help me
do His will for today, and to make me a better person, I listen to Him thru the
people He has put into my life, to keep me humble before Him this led me into
step twelve
Having had a spiritual awaken, as a direct result of living
these Steps, I try very hard to carry this message God can do for us what we
could not do for ourselves and I try very hard to practice the principles of
this God given fellowship in all my endeavors
God bless you Al M
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suggestions or comments
