February 13, 2009

Essentials

Any alcoholic capable of honestly facing his problems
in the light of our experience can recover
provided he does not close his mind to all spiritual concepts.
He can only be defeated by an attitude of intolerance or belligerent denial.
We find that no one need have difficulty with the spiritual side of the program.
Willingness, honesty and open-mindedness are the essentials of recovery.
But these are indispensable.

Reprinted from Alcoholics Anonymous [First Edition], Page 39

Thought to Ponder....

Spirituality is the ability to get our minds off ourselves.





They say you can be in the program without a belief in God, agnostics are welcome. I know a great guy who is an agnostic. He has had troubles with one of his family members and the disease of alcoholism. I resepect his choice to live in a world without God, even though it's hard to grasp.

For me, I have been brought back from the dead so many times, I have to believe in God. There are too many coincidences in my life to chalk up to probability. I'm sometimes sensitive to the terrible things that people do to others in this world, the child molesters, the brutal murders, the inhumane acts of people toward each other, Sometimes I say: but if there is a God, why does all this crap happen? Answer: he can't control the evil that lurks in the hearts of people.

So a belief in God, for me, is something that helps to anchor my sobriety, keep me grounded. My belief and faith isn't always strong, but it's there. There's a member here who I look up to a lot because it seems his belief in God is unwavering. It kinda inspires me to try harder. I may not be where he is, but I'm on the road to better faith.