The program of Alcoholics Anonymous has in place the
fabric necessary to weave through and heal our character defects - whether they surface in our daily or our spot check inventories. If and when necessary we use the
Ninth Step which is, "Made direct amends to such people wherever
possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." If we
decide that an amend is necessary we immediately make it in an effort to live in the present. Only in the present can we be in the will of God, where His grace saves us from creating another past which we will need to extricate ourselves from. Once performed, we thread into the necessary fabric The Seventh Step, "Humbly asked Him to remove our
shortcomings." If our actions cause us to have any shame or guilt, we then use the Fifth Step of the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, "Admitted to God, to ourselves
and another human being the exact nature of our wrongs" so that we may
be living in the present with a clean slate and a serene mind.
If we are willing to take our inventories, make our amends, ask God to
remove our defects, and share our wrongs with ourselves, God and another
human being there will be NO NEED TO CREATE A PAST. We will have the freedom to exist in the present - in the will of God.
As
alcoholics we have worked hard to free ourselves from our past. If we
are willing to weave the program of Alcoholics Anonymous into our
lives in such a way that it becomes our life than the creation of a
past that, at least subconsciously, is having a negative effect on our
present consciousness, will not occur. This is a critical tool in
permanent recovery.
My slate was begging to be cleaned. Instead, it became grimier and more befuddled every day. I could never clean up my past because I couldn't live in the present. Thus, I had no future. In AA, I learned that I had to experience a psychic change in order to live at peace and in love with my life. Beyond the psychic change itself, I needed a model for living -a structure, a standard, a destination. The Twelve Steps and their incorporation into my life has created a dependency I trust. My wreckage has been cleared through The Power Within me guiding me according to His Will, not mine. By living in this moment, I avoid recreating the ignominy of the past and creating the uncertainty of the future. I am alive to experience life by giving to others what I've been given by my teachers through The Spirit Within me. As Step Ten points out, the ongoing goal is to continue to grow in understanding and effectiveness.
ReplyDeleteMichael by integrating the 12 Steps of alcoholics Anonymous into our lives and living in the present there is no shame to carry into the present or any fear of what the future may hold. An inventory of behavior and than making amends and seeking forgiveness has richly been part of many spiritual traditions and AA is no different... Good stuff Michael...Thanks...Armand
DeleteOnce my will ceases its imaginary grip and His will presides, the harmony and supple strength the steps supply will lay upon me as a blanket would on a cold body. The hardest part before this can take place is letting go of all the defects and the resentments, but until thorough action is taken to do so there is no peace, no serenity, no truth of soul. Having the past cling to me takes my usefulness away as a potentially recovered alcoholic, as a mother, as a friend and as a stranger to those I may have come to help. I know the sequence of the plan is greatness undefined. I know trust in Him is the open door to this greatness. I must pray that others' need for help is urgent, that being the human God created in me is being called forth, that my children need the best part of me, and not only sometimes, but now. History pulls me backward and I pray to let it go so forward movement prevails and history can be created in only the way He meant for it to be. The steps of the program are my keys, may I find their proper use and take action. Until then, I am only as useful as a gem is beneath the rocks.
ReplyDeleteCaitlin Once freed from self the program of Alcoholics Anonymous has in place the apparatus for that to continue. Through daily inventory and prayer and meditation an alcoholic is equipped so that never again will the past and the effect that can have on the present needs to be dragged around. When lived in the present, life is peaceful and serene. Beautifully written...Thanks...Armand
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