As I began the fourth step of the program of Alcoholics Anonymous I faced the four column inventory of my resentments, fears and sexual conduct. My sponsor suggested that I begin to pray for and forgive all of those on all of my lists. In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous there is a prayer for each of these lists - three prayers in total.The Eighth Step of Alcoholics Anonymous, "Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all," is yet another chance to pray for and forgive all those on all of my lists and to begin doing the same with any new situations that may arise. We are already in possession of an Eighth Step list - extracted from our Fourth Step inventory. As we begin to pray for and forgive we are also making a beginning on Steps Eleven and Twelve.
Prayer and forgiveness are essential tools if we are to recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body We learned in the Fourth Step that resentments toward others is the number one offender to a relationship with God, as we are called to love all, although we are never to be accepting of evil.
The Eighth Step provides for us ANOTHER CHANCE TO PRAY FOR AND TO FORGIVE all those on our lists. This is necessary in order to bring the Spirit into our Ninth Step amends.
Written by Armand
My Eighth Step list was the start of a chance to get right with myself in order to live as the person I was born to be. That process meant setting right relationships with each and every person with whom I would interact in future by making rightful amends to those I had harmed in past. That, of course, underscores the magnificent value of living in the present - the only truly peaceful place for me. By living in this very moment, I can both forgive and be forgiven, as I will no longer have to re-create the past. Those rancid emotions of anger, envy, jealousy and laziness are sicknesses in their own wrong. They are the "termites" that can devour peace of mind and lead only to isolation and despair, even without glass in hand. The Eighth Step is like loosening the binds of an straitjacket in order to locate and live in the sunshine of the spirit through The Power Within me. There, the sun shines in and the sun shines out.
ReplyDeleteMichael living in the .present is the absence of looking back in regret or forward in fear...Thank you...Armand
ReplyDeleteArmand,
ReplyDeleteHaving received complete forgiveness at the feet of the Father of Light through Steps 4 and 5 and the impossibility of the unaided removal of the shortcomings inherent in our failed nature except through surrendering of them to God through Steps 6 and 7. We are now in the right spirit to accept the incredible opportunity and gift to become a partaker of the infinite mercy and love that God has, not just for us, but for all of his creation. We ponder the gateway found in the Lords Prayer " And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others who have trespassed against us."
We have made a decision to identify and relinquish the primitive survivor skills that we once believed were absolutely necessary to sustain our existence. It is here that we rediscover deeply held resentments we used as justification for misplaced malignant attitudes and actions which must be rooted up and exposed to the continuous cleansing power of Gods Spirit of Light and Love. As we prayerfully continue to review our past encounters we come to understand that many with whom we hold a grudge were merely acting in kind in order to avoid their own desperately perceived fearful demise.
As we continue to prayerfully plumb the depths of Step Eight we will soon begin to experience true empathy and forgiveness towards those once perceived to be our enemy. As we separate their desperate actions from their wounded personhood we can now pray rightly for them to receive the freedom and peace of an eternal relationship with our, and their, loving Father. Now we become partakers in the ministry of healing that God would provide to others as He seeks to heal the last scars that we, in our selfishness, had carved into the fragile spirits of so many lives. It is in forgiving others as we have been forgiven that we truly begin to apprehend the fullness, depth and all encompassing expanse of God's personnel forgiveness of our sins. It is here that we can begin to share and more deeply experience that all forgiving love that is the essence of Gods Personhood with others.
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic love when you wrote 'as we separate their desperate actions from their wounded personhood." In the will of God it becomes obvious the pain they are in witnessed by their behavior. The love in empathy and forgiveness We display can only come from our relationship with God...Thank you...Armand
ReplyDeleteArmand, thank you for the reminder to pray and forgive, otherwise it's possible that resentment can still re-surface even after I've discovered "my part." That has happened to me-- once or twice the same names have appeared on subsequent 4th step inventories, years down the line. But it doesn't happen when I pray and forgive. As you say, praying for those on my 8th step list is a start on 9, 11 and 12. Today, if I am spiritually fit, I can incorporate all the steps in my life and live as a person who is "happily and usefully whole" as it says in the 12 x 12.
ReplyDeleteDan love when you referenced 'happily and usefully whole."...Thank you...Armand
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