In Chapter 4 of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous it says, "...we had to fearlessly face the proposition that God is everything or else He is nothing. God either is, or He isn't. What was our choice to be?" When I came to the very point in my recovery where I had no desire to turn back to my old life but I was fearful of letting go of my nature (and living in the will of God), the above statement had to be answered. I may have answered in the affirmative earlier in my recovery but it wasn't until that precise moment that I fully understood what was being asked of me - or rather, required of me.
If we are to recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body; if we are to be free of manifesting our human defects in our behavior; if we are to live a life where we are tolerant and loving of all but never accepting of evil, if we are to live a life free from fear, anxiety and anger, if we are to be respected and loved and posses the spirit of charity forgiveness and joy - not because everything in life is as our human nature thinks it ought to be but because God is with us. Joy is not the absence of sorrow but the presence of God.
For the first time in my life I had become fully alive as the Spirit was fully awakened within me. I became and am the human being that God created me to be, maximizing my human potential, free of conflict, and at peace.
I am aware of what is required of me, and I have answered "Yes, God is everything." What will your answer be?
Written By Armand
The gift is peace of mind; the price was chaos, confusion, isolation and driven-to-my-knees despair. Yes, for me, it IS everything or nothing at all. Immediately upon becoming aware of The Power Within me, I learned the meaning of the concept of everything. However, that process took both Time and Trust. I couldn't simply revert to The God of my misunderstanding, as that was a major component of my purposelessness in the first place. To find purpose, it had to become personal. And knowing that The Power resides within me is as personal as is possible. That notion has opened my spirit as it has yours. Today, I know that the riddle of my existence as an ex-drinker is that I only get to keep the gift by giving it away. Common sense becomes uncommon sense is one of the stated paradoxes in the Big Book program of recovery. As I finish writing this comment in this moment, I assuredly know peace. It exists and will continue to exist regardless of outside circumstances. Peace is the ultimate inside job.
ReplyDeleteMichael the Spirit of God within us isthe Awakened Spirit...Thank you...Armand
DeleteArmand,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing.
For far too long I chose the broad road of life. A shallow human doing driven by every wind of doctrine in an incomprehensible world of mixed messages and shallow promises that proved empty at every turn.. Like a shipwrecked sailer desperately clinging to any floating debris in the aftermath of a tsunami of misspent living, I would not and could not fathom that there is a living and loving God, just beyond my earthly senses, who was patiently and fervently waiting for me to abandon the wreckage and finally reach out to His eternally extended hand. What joy and freedom there is to escape the self imposed prison of a totally me-centered life to that of a human being, made in the image and likeness of God and dedicated to His eternal plan os love. There are no words to describe the gift, or convey the experience of the "peace that surpasses all understanding" when one is finally, willingly and joyfully conformed to His purpose.
There is no greater gift that can be given than to finally apprehend that the One who pursued me with a love beyond telling and determination that never wavers came for one purpose, "To seek and to save those who are lost," and having been found, that must I also do, as I experience the joy of His presence. The 12 Steps of AA which inarguably finds its foundation in the Gospel of Jesus Christ is His simple program for corrosively complicated people that opens the door to the immeasurable depth, fullness and light that is... the mind and heart of God. There is, as you have faithfully witnessed, no greater joy nor peace in living.
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic spared of an alcoholic death contingent upon our relationship with God we are given the power to help others. Often in our problems we find our purpose...Thank you...Armand
Delete