Daily Reprieve

From Today’s Daily Reflections:

Every man and woman who has joined A.A. and intends to stick has, without realizing it, made a beginning on Step Three.  Isn’t it true that in all matters touching upon alcohol, each of them has decided to turn his or her life over to the care, protection, and guidance of Alcoholics Anonymous? . . . Any willing newcomer feels sure A.A. is the only safe harbor for the foundering vessel he has become.  Now if this is not turning one’s will and life over to a newfound Providence, then what is it? (Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 35).

Submission to God was the first step to my recovery.  I believe our Fellowship seeks a spirituality open to a new kinship with God.  As I exert myself to follow the path of the Steps, I sense a freedom that gives me the ability to think for myself.  My addiction confined me without any release and hindered my ability to be released from my self-confinement, but A.A. assures me of a way to go forward.  Mutual sharing, concern and caring for others is our natural gift to each other and mine is strengthened as my attitude toward God changes.  I learn to submit to God’s will in my life, to have self-respect and to keep both of these attitudes by giving away what I receive.

END QUOTE OF DAILY REFLECTIONS

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I looked up some useful definitions of the word SUBMIT.

– to give (a document, proposal, piece of writing, etc.) to someone so that it can be considered or approved.

– to stop trying to fight or resist something : to agree to do or accept something that you have been resisting or opposing.

– to defer to or consent to abide by the opinion or authority of another.

To give to Someone.  To stop trying to fight and resist Something.  To defer to or consent to Another.

Someone, Something, Another…A Higher Power.

Step Three carries an implied expectation of Magical Manifestation.  It asks you to believe in the magic of the recovery process.  It asks you to believe in the magic of connecting with others.  It asks you to believe in the magic of your own existence.  Ultimately, it asks you to believe in the magic of an Infinite Someone, Something, that is Another Being and it is not the finite you, but loves you more than you are able to love yourself.

In the beginning we flee the hell of addiction.  We find relief in the purgatory of abstinence.  If we can overcome our distrust and isolated self-will, we find the spiritual awakening of Sobriety.  Once we have connected to this spiritual experience of the ultimate Union, we will never be deceived by the evangelists  of addiction’s hellfire again.  I have abstinence and have glimpsed sobriety.  I hope and trust that the paradox expressed at the end of the Daily Reflection is the key to a permanent transformation; ” giving away what I receive.”  I can gain freedom through submission and keep it by giving it away.

This entry was posted on March 8, 2014 at 10:08 am and is filed under Uncategorized with tags Addiction, Alcoholism, Journal, Life, Personal, Recovery, Spirituality. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.