Daily Recovery Readings - 6/23

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Daily Reflections

TRUSTING OTHERS

But does trust require that we be blind to other people's motives or,
indeed, to our own? Not at all; this would be folly. Most certainly, we
should assess the capacity for harm as well as the capability for good
in every person that we would trust. Such a private inventory can
reveal the degree of confidence we should extend in any given
situation.
AS BILL SEES IT, p. 144

I am not a victim of others, but rather a victim of my expectations,
choices and dishonesty. When I expect others to be what I want them
to be and not who they are, when they fail to meet my expectations, I
am hurt. When my choices are based on self-centeredness, I find I am
lonely and distrustful. I gain confidence in myself, however, when I
practice honesty in all my affairs. When I search my motives and am
honest and trusting, I am aware of the capacity for harm in situations
and can avoid those that are harmful.

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

No chain is stronger than its weakest link. Likewise, if you fail in the
day-by-day program, in all probability it will be your weakest point.
Great faith and constant contact with God's power can help you
discover, guard, and undergird your weakest point with a strength not
your own. Intelligent faith in God's power can be counted on to help
you master your emotions, help you to think kindly of others, and help
you with any task that you undertake, no matter how difficult. Am I
master of my emotions?

Meditation For The Day

You need to be constantly recharged by the power of the spirit of
God. Continue with God in quiet times until the life from God, the
Divine life, by that very contact, flows into your being and revises your
fainting spirit. When weary, take time out and rest. Rest and gain
power and strength from God, and then you will be ready to meet
whatever opportunities come your way. Rest until every care and
worry and fear have gone and then the tide of peace and serenity, love
and joy, will flow into your consciousness.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may rest and become recharged. I pray that I may pause
and wait for the renewing of my strength.

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As Bill Sees It

Whose Will? p. 170

We have seen A.A.'s ask with much earnestness and faith for God's explicit guidance
on matters ranging all the way from a shattering domestic or financial crisis to a
minor personal fault, like tardiness. A man who tries to run his life rigidly by this kind of
prayer, by this self-serving demand of God for replies, is a particularly
disconcerting individual. To any questioning or criticism of his actions, he instantly
proffers his reliance upon prayer for guidance in all matters great or small.

He may have forgotten the possibility that his own wishful thinking and the human
tendency to rationalize have distorted his so-called guidance. With the best of
intentions, he tends to force his will into all sorts of situations and problems with the
comfortable assurance that he is acting under God's specific direction.

12 & 12, pp. 103-104

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Keep It Simple

Words are sacred, we must use them wisely. . . . They are a gift from God.
Burton Pretty-On-Top
We use words to bring peace to others. We can use words to tell God and others how much we care. Or we can use words to hurt others. We can curse them and scare them away. We often did when we used alcohol and other drugs.
In recovery, we learn to use words in a kind, wise way. We treat words as a gift from God. We use words to build our relationships.
Do I always use words in a kind way? Do I treat words as a powerful gift from God? Do my words make the world better or worse for those who hear me speak?
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, when I speak words, help me think about their power. Help me speak to others in a kind way.
Action for the Day: Today, I'll speak to others with respect. My words will add a little kindness, honesty, and love to the world today.

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

The Housewife Who Drank At Home

She hid her bottles in clothes hampers and dresser drawers. In A.A., she discovered she had lost nothing and had found everything.

I went to my doctor again. He knew what I was doing, how I was trying. I said, "I can't find any middle road in life. I can't find it. It's either all work, or drink." He said, "Why don't you try Alcoholics Anonymous?" I was willing to try anything. I was licked. For the second time, I was licked. The first time was when I knew I couldn't live without alcohol. But this second time, I found I couldn't live normally without it, and I was licked worse than ever.

p. 299

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Tradition Two - "For our group purpose, there is but one ultimate authority - a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience."

This brings us straight to the question "Does A.A. have a real leadership?" Most emphatically the answer is "Yes, notwithstanding the apparent lack of it." Let's turn again to the deposed founder and his friends. What becomes of them? As their grief and anxiety wear away, a subtle change begins. Ultimately, they divide into two classes known in A.A. slang as "elder statesmen" and "bleeding deacons." The elder statesman is the one who sees the wisdom of the group's decision, who holds no resentment over his reduced status, whose judgment, fortified by considerable experience, is sound, and who is willing to sit quietly on the sidelines patiently awaiting developments. The bleeding deacon is one who is just as surely convinced that the group cannot get along without him, who constantly connives for reelection to office, and who continues to be consumed with self-pity. A few hemorrhage so badly that - drained of all A.A. spirit and principal - they get drunk. At times the A.A. landscape seems to be littered with bleeding forms. Nearly every oldtimer in our Society has gone through this process in some degree. Happily, most of them survive and live to become elder statesmen. They become the real and permanent leadership of A.A. Theirs is the quiet opinion, the sure knowledge and humble example that resolve a crisis. When sorely perplexed, the group inevitably turns to them for advice. They become the voice of the group conscience; in fact, these are the true voice of Alcoholics Anonymous. They do not drive by mandate; they lead by example. This is the experience which has led us to the conclusion that our group conscience, well-advised by its elders, will be in the long run wiser than any single leader.

pp. 134-135

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Remember how we'd talk every night at bedtime? I miss that.
--God

If you think clothes make no difference, try walking down the street
without any.
--unknown

"The greatest treasures of your life are associated with the people
you love and who love you in return."
--Brian Tracy

Half the failures of this world arise from pulling in one's horse as he is
leaping.
--Augustus Hare

The moment you have in your heart this extraordinary thing called
love and feel the depth and delight, the ecstasy of it, you will discover that
your world is transformed.
-- Krishnamurti

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the
past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live
the present moment wisely and earnestly.
--Buddha

"Tis grace that brought me safe thus far.
Tis grace will lead me home."
--John Newton ("Amazing Grace")

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Father Leo's Daily Meditation

REALITY

"Do not take life too seriously.
You will never get out of it
alive."
--Elbert Hubbard

When I used to take life too seriously, I was always miserable. I
missed so much. I placed a disproportionate amount of energy on my
own importance. I am not saying that I am not important, but I must
learn to live within the structures of this imperfect world.

For so long I made myself the "victim" of this world. Every airplane I
missed was seen as a personal abuse. I could not wait in a line without
getting angry and developing a resentment to everybody around.
Everybody was expected to revolve around my world and I felt the
world owed me a living! The result: unhappiness.

I needed to change or remain unhappy. Today I am learning to change
and I am working on patience.

Thank You for the spiritual gift of balance in my life.

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The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Psalms 23:1-6

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting
God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or
weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to
the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow
tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope
in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like
eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be
faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31

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Daily Inspiration

Integrity is one of our most valuable assets. Lord, may I live responsibly and never have the need to make excuses for my behavior.

Kindness can accomplish that which force won't. Lord, may I pause when I am about to react to irritations and respond as though it is You to whom I speak.

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You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
Real friends are those who, when you've made a fool of yourself, don't feel that you've done a permanent job. --Erwin T. Randall
What kind of friends do we have? Are they people who complain a lot? Are they people who laugh at us or put others down?
The kind of people we want to be will decide what kind of friends we have. If we want to feel sorry for ourselves, we will choose friends who will tell us how rotten their lives are. If we want to think we're better than others, we will hang around people who laugh at others' mistakes.
But if we want to be the best we can be, we will pick friends who see the good in life, people who will encourage us to be ourselves and who will help us try harder at things that are difficult for us.
How can I be a better friend today?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
He who conceals his disease cannot expect to be cured. --Ethiopian proverb
Concealment and secrecy have been second nature to some of us. We may have felt that our masculinity kept us loners. Perhaps we said we were covering the truth for someone else's good. Maybe we could not bear to expose the truth because we feared the consequences. For some of us a lie came more automatically than the truth. Now we are learning to be open with our friends, and we are finding the healing effect of fresh air for our secrets.
Although it's frightening to stop tampering with the truth, it's also exciting to feel the power of honesty and to deal with the consequences of uncovering it. Perhaps we still have some secrets that erode our wellbeing. If so, we need to bring them into the open so we can live completely honest lives. When we let others know us as we really are, we are casting our lot with good health and recovery.
Today, I will make progress in my recovery by letting myself be fully known.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
. . . How much bondage and suffering a woman escapes when she takes the liberty of being her own physician of both body and soul. --Elizabeth Cady Stanton
If we listen to ourselves, to the innermost voice of our Spirits, we know that we have the power to heal ourselves. Self-healing begins with making our own decisions--about what we wear, what we do, who we are--and deciding that we will be true to ourselves. With the help of our spiritual guide, we can resist the temptations to betray ourselves, for these temptations are born of fear; the fear that we are not good enough to be our "own physicians."
To give away our powers bind us and cause us to suffer. But we can go to others for help without losing our own strength.
Today and every day, I will pray for the wisdom to choose wise counselors and the strength to love and heal myself.


You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Letting Go of Old Beliefs
Try harder. Do better. Be perfect.
These messages are tricks that people have played on us. No matter how hard we try, we think we have to do better. Perfection always eludes us and keeps us unhappy with the good we've done.
Messages of perfectionism are tricks because we can never achieve their goal. We cannot feel good about ourselves or what we have done while these messages are driving us. We will never be good enough until we change the messages and tell ourselves we are good enough now.
We can start approving of and accepting ourselves. Who we are is good enough. Our best yesterday was good enough; our best today is plenty good too.
We can be who we are, and do it the way we do it - today. That is the essence of avoiding perfection.
God, help me let go of the messages that drive me into the crazies. I will give myself permission to be who I am and let that be good enough.


Today I'm learning to release my stress and anxiety in positive and healthy ways. My body is becoming free from all negative experiences. My past no longer lives in my body. --Ruth Fishel

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Surrender

"We didn't stumble into this fellowship brimming with love, honesty, open-mindedness, or willingness....When we were beaten, we became willing.""
Basic Text, p. 20

Surrender may be the necessary foundation for recovery, but sometimes we fight it. Most of us look back after some clean time and wonder why on earth we fought so hard to deny our powerlessness when surrender is what finally saved our lives.

As we recover, new opportunities to surrender present themselves. We can either struggle with everyone and everything we encounter or we can recall the benefits of our first surrender and stop fighting.

Most of the pain we experience comes from fighting, not surrendering. In fact, when we surrender, the pain ends and hope takes its place. We begin to believe that all will be well and, after some time, realize that our lives are much better as a result. We feel the same way we did when we gave up the illusion that we could control our using-relieved, free, and filled with fresh hope.

Just for today: Is there a surrender I need to make today? I will remember my first surrender and remind myself that I don't need to fight anymore.
pg. 181

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Wisdom for Today
Each of us in the program has problems within our personality. These character defects are the core of our problems. Even though we stop drinking and using, these problems can continue in recovery. We can make concerted efforts to rid ourselves of these personality flaws, and they continue to exist deep within our being. They will continue to thrive within us until we honestly work the steps and have a spiritual experience. In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous the term "spiritual experience" is defined as something that brings about personality change.
It comes through the process of surrendering our lives to God, as we understand Him. In this surrender we turn our will over. We ask Him humbly to remove our shortcomings. Then it is through obedience of His will for us and faith that this spiritual experience will happen for us that we indeed are changed. This does not necessarily happen in one fell swoop, but is more likely to occur over time as we continue to use the steps and work the program. It does not require a vast faith or extreme God consciousness. It simply requires that we continue to do the next right thing. In most cases the changes are gradual but continuous. It becomes clear to us that we are not the same as we were the week before or the month before. Over time the change in our personality does occur. Do I see the gradual change in who I am, my thinking, my behavior, my beliefs?
Meditations for the Heart
"Lord, to whom shall I go?" These words from the Bible remind us that we can only turn to God. Only He has the answers to the questions we have inside. Only God can relieve us of the compulsion to drink or use. Only God will bring about the changes needed in who we are and how we behave. We can find God in every place we are willing to see Him, for He is always with us. In our moments of despair, He is there. In our moments of fear, He stands ready to comfort us. In our anger, He will quench the fire that burns within. In our sadness, He will dry our tears. And in our joy, He celebrates with us. All we need do is look, and we can find Him in our midst. His Spirit is always by our side. His wisdom is always available to us. His strength is within our hearts, and He will provide us with courage. Where do I go with the burdens I still carry?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
You have the words that I need to hear. You share these words through others that I share my burdens with. You share your words deep within my conscience. Your strength is always available to me. Give me this day the openness to see you at work in my life. Let me hear the words that my heart and mind need for this day. Walk with me always.
Amen

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You are reading from the book Food for Thought.

The Everlasting Arms

God moves, and yet He is always here. "Underneath are the everlasting arms." Our former support systems failed us or proved inadequate. We overate because we had no firm ground of support to rely on.

Now we see that since our lives belong to a Higher Power, there is nothing temporal which can remove us from His care and protection. Whatever happens, the everlasting arms are there to uphold us. Knowing that, we no longer need to overeat. We are able to endure whatever comes, whether it is physical hunger, emotional anguish, or spiritual depression.

To experience God's support, all we need to do is admit that we are powerless to sustain ourselves by our own efforts. What a relief not to have to depend on our own ego! If, when we are perplexed and upset, we will stop struggling and take time to be quiet, we will feel the inner peace and support which comes from our Higher Power. The everlasting arms are always here, underneath us.

I need You, Lord.