We admitted complete defeat; we put our absolute trust in God; we made a decision for our thought process to be propelled by the will of God and not by our human instinct; we asked God to remove anything and everything objectionable from us; we made our amends; we learned through the program of Alcoholics Anonymous and through our life experiences that we must pray and meditate daily. Now, through the grace of God, we are living in this moment in His will and are the very living example of the power of the program of AA. This has and will occur for all of us in whom the Spirit has been awakened. Once the Spirit has been awakened we are then given the power to help others, not only through our words but more importantly, through our behavior. We are acutely aware that in our quest to help others we cannot possibly give away that which we don't have.
As a result of integrating into our lives the program of Alcoholics Anonymous, we are given the power to help others. It is a wondrous event to see others live AN AWAKENED LIFE. We experience a fulfillment in our own lives as we watch them recover into loving and giving human beings.
Written by Armand
Written by Armand
After years of living a drunken life, an empty life, a purposeless life, I found a sober life in AA. While that was a phenomenal change, of itself it did not represent the transformation that was awaiting me. Once I began to incorporate the Twelve Step program of recovery into my life, my frustration at not having fully been able to give it away began to diminish and my understanding and effectiveness began to dominate my very existence. That is simply what occurred as the direct result of the awareness of the presence of The Power Within me, the source of all power. A psychic change, a vital spiritual experience, a spiritual awakening is the solution to my alcohol problem and to all my problems, including the availability and ability to give myself away - the ultimate gift of the program of recovery. Letting go of my mental logic trap and enthusiastically taking the action of all The Steps has been the salvific process that has transformed me from a state of self-loathing to a state of self-loving. I have been given the gift of a new state of consciousness and being, just as The Big Book promises.
ReplyDeleteMichael to see you surrender your human nature and live in your spiritual nature is a gift to all of us beyond measure...Thank you...Armand
ReplyDeleteAs I've written before, the discovery that I no longer fear the loss of the life once lived, now cast, like so much refuse into the pail of sinful actions forgiven and forgotten, is due to the direct intervention of the Creator of all who is and was and evermore will be.... It was He alone, who had been walking beside me, even during the most depraved events of my prodigal journey. It was He alone, who initiated this inexplicable shift in paradigm. It is He Alone, who continues to remind me that base animal appetites need no longer be sated. It is He alone, who has caused my fleshly desires to loose their allure. It is He alone, who has caused this obsession for all things harmful to be removed. And, it is He alone, who has placed within me a steadily growing all consuming fire and unquenchable desire to drink at the Masters well with frequent visits to the mercy seat of the One who refines in the fire of His love.
ReplyDeleteIt is a miracle... For no other word is sufficient to describe this unspeakably holy and undeserved gift, entirely unwrapped by His hand and placed in the hearts of all who receive Him in the freedom and joy of His Presence. None of this has directly occurred as a result of anything I brought to the table. In fact, it occurred despite what I brought in my previously destitute stupefied state.
My spirit has not so much been awakened but revived, for I was in every way a pile of bleached and brittle bones scattered in an endless desert, only to be revived by His Holy Spirit who now resides within me. It was only then that I discovered that the One who pursues with a love beyond telling and a determination that never wavers, came for one purpose, "To seek and to save those who are lost."
In the 31 years I've been in the program I've witnessed many "movements" attempt to nip at the pages of the 12 Steps of AA. All are based on some form of mere human pedagogy that seeks to place the student on the Throne and the Teacher at their feet. All in order to avoid the simple program directly taken from the greatest story ever told, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I too was one such malignant meanderer; until every last vestige of self worship and false pride finally brought me to my knees before the One true and Eternal Provider of true love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
His prayer, as always, is that all who hunger and thirst will find Him. He loves us all just the way we are and waits patiently at the door of our heart. He's as close as the mention of His name. Jesus, The Consolation Of Israel, The Desire of All Nations, The Author And Finisher Of Our Faith, The Alpha And Omega, The Lamb Who Was Slain, The Lion Who Reigns, The Anointed One, The Bread Of Life, The Everlasting Father, The Cornerstone, The Capstone, The Holy One, The King Of Kings, Lord Of Lords, The Christ! May you find Him now...
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic
A Grateful Recovering Alcoholic we are not miracles but what has occurred for us through the Grace of God is...Thank you...Armand
DeleteTo me the Awakened Life is more of a journey than a destination. Like any experience, I have gone through several phases of my awakening. First, only through the grace of God, I realized I was a mess, I couldn't fix myself and turned it over to our Lord to fix. There was a anxiety but also the first peace I had felt for the first time in my life. Next, I spent a time with my sponsor finding out the truth about myself, learning the program of AA, and asking for forgiveness from God and those whom I harmed. That was even more difficult to do but the peace was even greater and more often. And the last phase I am continually trying to improve my relationship with God and others. This also isn't an even path and it is a path I am taking for the rest of my life. I need to improve my ability to understand God's will for me and put that into action. The action is almost always to serve others without a benefit or advantage for myself. The joy I am finding in this last phase is greater than I've ever experienced but there are trying times as well. It can be seen in the quality of the relationships I am forming. The joy stems from helping others in little and big ways, which ever presents itself. While I still battle my ego and self centeredness, the Awakened Life can experience joy when I understand and act on God's will and I can help others. And the beat goes on...
ReplyDeleteJim a conscious contact with God brings an understanding and awareness previously unavailable before. The back half of the 11th Step says praying only for knowledge of Gods will for us and the power to carry it out as our nature will never do the will of God but will only attempt to satiate our instincts...Thank you...Armand
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