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.
Michael C.
ReplyDeleteI believe we’re born as caring and loving beings meant to give ourselves away. Somehow life gets in the way and we become trapped by our fears and false pride. For me the alcoholic, I was locked in a self-imposed bondage of frustration and humiliation. No one wanted what I had, especially me. Alcohol granted immediate relief followed by the pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization we all know so well. There seemed to be no exit. In the Big Book program of recovery, I literally found that by integrating all Twelve Steps into my life in such a way that they became my life I had something of value. In fact, something of gold - only available through a personal relationship with The Power Within me. As you point out, we can’t give this gold away if we don’t have it. Our picks have struck gold.
Sent from my iPhone
Michael to be of maximum benefit to others we must surrender to the will of god...Thank You...Armand
DeleteArmand,
ReplyDeleteAgain, 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 hopeless and 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. May this immutable fact find an anchor in the hearts of all who dwell upon these words.
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic.
A Gratefully Recovering Alcoholic thank you so much. I replied earlier but I guess the reply is lost in blog heaven but thanks for your wonderful comment...Armand
DeleteAt about five years of sobriety I wanted to go through the Steps again and picked out an old-timer who i thought could provide me with a richer and deeper experience. He asked me, "Are you hoping to get something new and different out of the steps this time?" I answered, "yes, exactly." His next comment surprised me-- he told me I was being selfish, and that once we go through the steps ourselves, we then need to take others through them if we want to deepen our experience. His comment has proved to be true-- once I began taking others through the Book and the steps, I had a different and deeper and richer experience with the process myself. As I told my sponsees, it truly "helped me more than you." We who have received this gift from God, have to give it away if we want to keep it.
ReplyDeleteDan yes, in the helping of others our faith is deepened...Thank you...Armand
Delete