The 12th Step of Alcoholics Anonymous is, "Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs." This step clearly places a responsibility upon us, as sponsors - but we cannot give away that which we don't have. The "Big Book" of Alcoholics Anonymous states, "We have recovered and been given the power to help others." The power to help others is a direct result of the spiritual awakening received in Step Twelve. Until one such spiritual awakening has occurred it is impossible for it to occur in other alcoholics that we may be helping. Furthermore, once the Spirit has been awakened within us we cannot be in the will of God without helping others. Both in and out of the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous.
We are gifted the power to carry the message to other alcoholics not only through our words but by incorporating the principles of the Alcoholics Anonymous program (the Twelve Steps) right into our lives, displaying them through our behavior. Once the spirit has been awakened in those we help then they themselves can lead a recovered life. These recovered alcoholics will then have the power to help others in the way necessary, so that still others may recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. Your gift can be a gift to others.
Written by Armand
My experience is that this is both the fundamental and ultimate Gift of the recovered life - The Awakened Spirit which traverses from one to another to another without effort, but only through the energy of the divine within. As a meeting-making member of AA for many years, my deepest frustration was in not being fully able to "give it away." Reason: somehow, after thousands of meetings, I was missing the only active ingredient absolutely essential to achieving a new state of consciousness and being. I had to incorporate The Twelve Steps into my life until they became my life. I was awarded the new life of an Awakened Spirit in the presence of The Power Within me and within all of us. AA was founded on the principle of giving ourselves away - the highest height of salvific love. But to give myself away, I first had to find myself. The hardest and most rewarding part of my being. And the solution to all my problems of which alcohol was merely a symptom.
ReplyDeleteMichael just love when you wrote " The Awakened Spirit which traverses from one to another to another without effort, but only through the energy of the divine within." Once surrendered to the will of God we are then given the Power to pass the same along. There is nothing that is more important for us as alcoholics to participate in...Thank you...Armand
DeleteThe 12th step to me is a reminder of the story of the boy and the starfish, where an old man who walked the beaches everyday could see the thousands of starfish on the shore which eventually would dry up and die in the hot sun. One morning the old man saw a boy methodically reaching down and throwing the starfish back onto the sea one at a time so the starfish can live. The old man criticizing the boy for wasting his time and won't make an impact, there were too many starfish. But the boy quickly responds to the old man saying "it made a difference to that starfish" as he through one back into the water. In the 12th step I am doing God's will and making the best use of my alcoholism by helping another soul recover from drying up on the beach.
ReplyDeleteJim great story. One at a time, all the time...Thank you...Armand
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ReplyDeleteYes. We have the potential to activate the living, sacred essence so that this Life energy can create. Certain individuals have a bright light that's gifted to others. Humility = an authentic honest surrendered state, sharing from this radical openness where there is strength in vulnerability creates miracles. . My ego still gets in the way a great deal sorry to say. But, we aren't saints. God does the work, the Force of the Cosmos is alive and well and always beneficent, generous.. The steps clear a path for Being conduits. My favorite new 11th step book: "Prayers of the Cosmos Reflections on Original Meaning of Jesus's Words" Neil Douglas-Klotz. It's a beacon for me atleast and highly recommend. Recently found my original sponsor now 94. She is healthy, joyous and still giving program away freely in Spirit of program. She thinks her health is from exercise and dancing. Maybe. I think it's from all the Love she's shared with countless women. If God has gifted you with a sponsor with real conscious contact, consider yourself blessed. Armand thank you for doing this work. You kept me alive while I lived in PA thru sharing your light and program so generously. Light and love to all in and out of fellowship, Cynthia
ReplyDeleteSpiritual Being a surrendered life to the will of God is a life worth living gifted to us through God's grace.
DeleteThank you for your kind words...Armand
As a kid I had this huge eraser with words "to error is human, to forgive is Divine." Love is Divine and a much misused word. It's sacred meaning and expresssiin however are still part of a thriving Life Force and will be our real lived experience if we are willing to stay open and work for them. Realize you may just want to "get sober", "not die" ... But what is " not dying "? It just might mean learning how be Love for Real.
ReplyDeleteSpiritual Being forgiveness is a by product of humility and patience. that is love...Thanks...Armand
DeleteThis Comment Is From A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic
ReplyDeleteArmand,
One of the greatest blessings received and fondest memories recalled is to have been present when you first came to believe that God Himself is the ultimate author of the 12 steps of AA and then bear witness as you surrendered every aspect of your life as you then understood it and received Jesus into your heart. Spiritually, it was then that you received the Gift to confidently confirm to others that the yearnings of every heart consumed by desperation, fear and trepidation can only be satisfied by a true spiritual conversion. The Gift you received to fully apprehend God's revelation, that He personally and continuously reaches out to each and every one of His errant children with a fiery passion and boundless love, no matter how far we have strayed from His Light, opened the door to the ultimate and ongoing Gift and revelation that He desires that all be joint "sponsor's" of that plan. That is, evangelists...
A true evangelists always points to the True Source of their resurrected lives and it is that resurrected life that draws others to inquire of The True Source. The AA Big Book, clearly taken from the Bible, tells us "that one is God" and I would humbly add, God alone. God did not create us with with a hidden source of divine power that was there all along only waiting to be discovered by our own or others fumblinging and futile efforts at pealing away the layers of our nature. God created us with an emptiness in our spirit that only He can fill and the longing for His Presence that alone will finally complete us. He never forces Himself upon anyone. He created us all as unique and deeply loved individuals with a free will to either accept or reject Him. If we are truly honest with ourselves we will admit that we consistently rejected His loving overtures for fear of loosing what we think we have or never getting what we think we want.
The Big Book also tells us that, alcohol aside, the only thing standing in the way of redemption way is our grandiose and totally selfish and self serving human nature, that until He is invited in, inhabits the very core of our being. A nature whose best efforts have birthed the desperation that ultimately brought us into the rooms of AA. And that in order to know the "peace which surpasses all understanding" we must surrender our will and our lives to God as we understand Him. The beginning of that surrender is to finally acknowledge to ourselves that we-are-not-God. That He is who He says He is and is eternally the only worthy recipient of that surrender we so desperately seek to avoid.
I often pass by the small stone chapel where you accepted the Lord and His unique ministry through you began. The doors were rarely if ever open and it was seldom if ever used, but that one day it was unlocked, warm and full of life. There truly are no coincidences. We were there by Divine appointment. Over time I watched as you took up His call with complete abandon. He has used your unique personality, talents, culture and experiences as an inspiration to a great many others desperately seeking the only true release from the seemingly inescapable internal prison of self through His outreach in the rooms of AA and beyond. That is why you were called. That is why we are all called.
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic.
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic the surrender necessary to recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body must be complete and absolute. There was a time when I questioned what God wanted from me and He answered "all of you."...Thank you...Armand
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