There was a time when we ignored trouble, hoping it would go away. Or, in fear and in depression, we ran from it, but found it was still with us. Often, full of unreason, bitterness, and blame, we fought back. These mistaken attitudes, powered by alcohol, guaranteed our destruction, unless they were altered.
Today I am grateful...
Today I am grateful...
- that I finally got so tired of running that I surrendered
- that I knew what to do and where to go and had the courage to follow through
- for one of our elder statesmen, who, having never picked up his desire chip 24 years ago, took one yesterday. This small gesture totally filled me emotionally.
- that we as a group are always there for those who choose to come back
- that I make the choice daily to thank my Higher Power for keeping me sober for the next twenty-four hours
- that you will have a tremendous day because you want to
Then came A.A. Here we learned that trouble was really a fact of life for everybody--a fact that had to be understood and dealt with. Surprisingly, we found that our troubles could, under God's grace, be converted into unimagined blessings.
Indeed, that was the essence of A.A. itself: trouble accepted, trouble squarely faced with calm courage, trouble lessened and often transcended. This was the A.A. story, and we became a part of it. Such demonstrations became our stock in trade for the next sufferer. ~from a 1966 letter by Bill W
3 comments:
Thank you for your kind words over at April's blog. I feel the same way about you bro. Can't wait to see you again.
I see you,
JJ
That gesture by Don brought tears to my eyes. Later in the evening, I related that story to another person in recovery and the tears came right back. He never ceases to amaze me.
That is really amazing that this action created an array of emotions, a connection of many in that room when "Don" took the desire chip. This program is beautiful.
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