Daily Recovery Readings - 7/12

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Daily Reflections

GIVING UP CENTER STAGE, p.202

For without some degree of humility, no alcoholic can stay sober at all.
. . Without it, they cannot live to much useful purpose, or, in
adversity, be able to summon the faith that can meet any emergency.
12 & 12, p.70

Why do I balk at the word "humility"? I am not humbling myself
toward other people, but toward God, as I understand Him.
Humbly means "to show submissive," and by being humble I
realize I am not the center of the universe. When I was drinking, I
was consumed by pride and self-centeredness. I felt the entire world
revolved around me, that I was master of my destiny. Humility
enables me to depend more on God to help me overcome obstacles, to
help me with my own imperfections, so that I may grow spiritually. I
must solve more difficult problems to increase my proficiency and, as
I encounter life's stumbling blocks, I must learn to overcome them
through God's help. Daily communion with God demonstrates my
humility and provides me with the realization that an entity more
powerful than I is willing to help me if I cease trying to play God
myself.

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Twenty-Four Hours A Day

A.A. Thought For The Day

Today is ours. Let us live today as we believe God wants us to
live. Each day will have a new pattern which we cannot foresee.
But we can open each day with a quiet period in which we say a little
prayer, asking God to help us through the day. Personal contact with
God, as we understand Him, will from day to day bring us nearer
to an understanding of His will for us. At the close of the day, we
offer Him thanks for another day of sobriety. A full, constructive
day has been lived and we are grateful. Am I asking God each day
for strength and thanking Him each night?

Meditation For The Day

If you believe that God's grace has saved you, then you must believe
that He is meaning to save you yet more and keep you in the way that
you should go. Even human rescuers would not save you from
drowning only to place you in other deep and dangerous waters.
Rather, they would place you on dry land, there to restore you.
God, who is your rescuer, would certainly do this and even more.
God will complete the task He sets out to do. He will not throw you
overboard, if you are depending on Him.

Prayer For The Day

I pray that I may trust God to keep me in the way. I pray that I may
rely on Him not to let me go.

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As Bill Sees It

Miraculous Power, p. 152

Deep down in every man, woman, and child is the fundamental idea of
God. It may be obscured by calamity, by pomp, by worship of other
things, but in some form or other it is there. For faith in a Power
greater than ourselves, and miraculous demonstrations of that Power in
human lives are facts as old as man himself.

<< << << >> >> >>

"Faith may often be given through inspired teaching or a convincing
personal example of its fruits. It may sometimes be had through
reason. For instance, many clergymen believe that St. Thomas Aquinas
actually proved God's existence by sheer logic. But what can one do
when all these channels fail? This was my own grievous dilemma.

"It was only when I came fully to believe I was powerless over alcohol,
only when I appealed to God who just might exist, that I experienced a
spiritual awakening. This freedom-giving experience came first, and
then faith followed afterward--a gift indeed!"

1. Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 55
2. Letter, 1966

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Walk In Dry Places

Pats on the back
Self-esteem
Recovery from a compulsive illness such as alcohoism often brings "pats on the back." This praise is a welcome change from the criticism our problems once raised.
We should accept such pats on the back graciously, but without taking the personal credit this sort of praise implies. We can become addicted to praise seeking, and we may even invite it as a way of building up self-esteem.
Moreover, much of our challenge is still ahead of us. The real victory may be in learning how to live after we've established our initial freedom. We learn that all human beings must face issues such as boredom and pain, which we tried to avoid with our drinking. We may get few pats on the back for our success in this everyday living, but our healthier lifestyle is reward enough.
If I receive praise today, I'll acknowledge it graciously, knowing that such praise is not necessary for my well-being.

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Keep It Simple

Just because everything is different doesn't mean anything has changed.---Irene Peter
Our life changed a lot when we stopped drinking and using other drugs. But this is only a start. We need to go further.
Our old attitudes can kill us, even if we aren't drinking or drugging any more. This is called a "dry drunk." If we're on a dry drunk, we've changed the way we act without changing the way we think.
Our program shows us how to change the way we think. And we change how we treat ourselves and others. We learn to live a new life based on love and care.
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, help me guard against my old attitudes. Help me keep changing.
Action for the Day: I'll list four ways I've changed because I'm sober. I'll list four ways I haven't changed yet.

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Alcoholics Anonymous - Fourth Edition

Physician, Heal Thyself

Psychiatrist and surgeon, he had lost his way until he realized that God, not he, was the Great Healer.

Shortly after I was starting to work on the program, I relaized that I was not a good father. I wasn't a good husband, but, oh, I was a good provider. I never robbed my family of anything. I gave them everything, except the greatest thing in the world, and that is peace of mind. So I went to my wife and asked her if there wasn't something that she and I could do to somehow get together, and she turned on her heel and looked me squarely in the eye, and said, "You don't care anything about my problem," and I could have smacked her, but I said to myself, "Grab on to your serenity!"

p. 307

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

Tradition Three - "The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking."

At length the time came for him to speak in a meeting. We shivered, for we knew what was coming. He paid a fine tribute to the Fellowship; he told how his family had been reunited; he extolled the virtue of honesty; he recalled the joys of Twelfth Step work; and then he lowered the boom. Cried Ed, "I can't stand this God stuff! It's a lot of malarkey for weak folks. This group doesn't need it, and I won't have it! To he!! with it!"
A great wave of outraged resentment engulfed the meeting, sweeping every member to a single resolve: "Out he goes!"

p. 143

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"It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness."
--Seneca

"If one asks for success and prepares for failure, he will get the
situation he has prepared for."
--Florence Shinn

Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed.
--American Proverb

Faith is a knowledge within the heart, beyond the reach of proof.
--Kahil Gibran

"When we surrender to God, we let go of our attachment to how
things happen on the outside, and we become more concerned with
what happens on the inside."
--Marianne Williamson

Change your thoughts and you change your world.
--Vincent Norman Peale

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Father Leo's Daily Meditation

VIOLENCE

"Violence is counter-productive
and produces changes of a sort
you don't want. It is a very
dangerous instrument and can
destroy those who wield it."
--John Gardner

I believed I wasn't violent when I drank but that is not true; I
wasn't physically violent but I used emotional and mental violence. I
did not hit, fight or mutilate people with my hands, but I could tear a
person apart with my tongue. My sarcasm and criticism made people
cry, feel demoralized and useless. Violence always removes the
"dignity" from man -- and I did this with my mouth!

Today I try to practice tolerance and patience, I count to ten, and
when I do lose my temper and hurt a person unfairly or unnecessarily,
I apologize. In my sobriety the anger, hate and need to hurt is
slowly going. I am progressively getting better a day at a time.

Teacher, let me offer the hand of peace, not the fist of violence.

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"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God."
Ephesians 2:8

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith.
1 Corinthians 16:13

"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should
always pray and not give up..."
Luke 18:1

"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be
filled with the Spirit."
Ephesians 5:18

"My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your
word."
Psalm 119:28

"Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life
according to your word."
Psalm 119:37

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Daily Inspiration

Turn to God's love when you become doubtful or discouraged. Lord, Your love for me is so great that with this knowledge I am able to face my biggest challenges without stress.

Never forget that home is Heaven and life on earth is only temporary. Lord, may I live with deep awareness of my spiritual nature and live a life of truth.

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You are reading from the book Today's Gift.
We love the things we love for what they are. --Robert Frost
Once there was a little girl who had a stuffed frog named Jeremy. Jeremy went everywhere with the girl--to imaginary picnics with her other dolls, to school, on trips, and, once, even into the bathtub! Every night, Jeremy slept cradled in her arms.
Over time, Jeremy grew old and tattered. He had lost an eye, and he limped because the girl used to use one of his legs as a handle, and it had gotten crushed. His nose was a little mangled too, from being dragged on the ground.
But the girl loved that frog, no matter how bedraggled he looked. And he never did anything. He was just always there. He was just Jeremy, and she loved him for that.
Today, that girl is a young woman and has outgrown childish things. But in her bedroom, you'll still find Jeremy, tattered and repaired, asleep on her bed. She still loves him dearly, for what he is.
Who do I love, and why?


You are reading from the book Touchstones.
If you keep on saying things are going to be bad, you have a good chance of being a prophet. --Isaac Bashevis Singer
Many of us have the habit of taking a negative outlook on whatever comes along. We don't believe things will work out for us; we don't think we will have a good day; we can't accept our friends' warm feelings. To follow this gloomy path is a strange distortion of faith - it is faith in the negative. Any forecast, whether hopeful or pessimistic, is a step into the unknown. So why do we choose the dark one?
We get a payoff for our pessimism, which keeps us hooked. It creates misery, but serves our demand for control. There is more risk in being open to something positive because we cannot force positive things to occur. We can only be open to them and believe in the possibility. But when we predict the negative and expect only bad things, we squelch many good things or overlook them. Then we say, "I knew it would be this way," and in our misery we satisfy our self-centered craving to be in charge. When we surrender our need to be in control, we are more open and welcoming of the good things that come our way.
Today. I will be open to the good that is around me.


You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
... those interested in perpetuating present conditions are always in tears about the marvelous past that is about to disappear, without having so much as a smile for the young future. --Simone de Beauvoir
Hanging on to any moment, once it's gone, deadens us to the joys and lessons of the present. We must learn to let go, to let go of persons, painful situations, and even meaningful experiences. Life goes on, and the most fruitful lesson before us is to move with the vibrations, be in tune with them.
Being open to the present is our only chance for growth. These experiences today in our lives beckon us forward along the path meant for us. We are not guaranteed only joy today. But we are promised security. We may not be free of twinges of fear or confusion, but we can learn to trust even in the midst of adversity. We can remember that power greater than ourselves whenever and wherever our steps are uncertain.
Dwelling, as we are wont to do, on our rebuffs, our rejections, invites further criticism. But neither should we dwell on past joys. Attention to now and to the persons here, now, is the only rightful response to life. Not being here, now, invites others to turn away, just as we have turned away.
I will celebrate the thrill of the present, squeeze the moments of today, and trust the outcome to God.


You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Letting Go of Fear of Abandonment
"Where are you, God? Where did you go?"
So many people have gone away. We may have felt so alone so much. In the midst of our struggles and lessons, we may wonder if God has gone away too.
There are wondrous days when we feel God's protection and presence, leading and guiding each step and event. There are gray, dry days of spiritual barrenness when we wonder if anything in our life is guided or planned. Wondering if God knows or cares.
Seek quiet times on the gray days. Force discipline and obedience until the answer comes, because it will.
"I have not gone away child. I am here, always. Rest in me, in confidence. All in your life is being guided and planned, each detail. I know, and I care. Things are being worked out as quickly as possible for your highest good. Trust and be grateful. I am right here. Soon you will see, and know."
Today, I will remember that God has not abandoned me. I can trust that God is leading, guiding, directing, and planning in love each detail of my life.


I am at choice today. I accept responsibility of my life with a new sense of maturity, confidence and even excitement. --Ruth Fishel

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Patience

"We were trapped by our need for the instant gratification that drugs gave us."
Basic Text, pp.24-25

"I want what I want, and I want it now!" That's about as patient as most of us ever got in our active addiction. The obsession and compulsion of our disease gave us a "one-track" way of thinking; when we wanted something, that's all we thought about. And the drugs we took taught us that instant gratification was never more than a dose away. It's no wonder that most of us came to Narcotics Anonymous with next to no patience.

The problem is, we can't always get what we want whenever we want it. Some of our wishes are pure fantasy; if we think about it, we'll realize we have no reason to believe those wishes will be fulfilled in our lifetimes. We probably can't even fulfill all our realistic desires; we certainly can't fulfill them all at once. In order to acquire or achieve some things, we will have to sacrifice others.

In our addiction we sought instant gratification, squandering our resources. In recovery we must learn to prioritize, sometimes denying the gratification of some desires in order to fulfill more important long-term goals. To do so requires patience. To find that patience, we practice our program of recovery, seeking the kind of full-bodied spiritual awakening that will allow us to live and enjoy life on life's terms.

Just for today: Higher Power, help me discover what's most important in my life. Help me learn patience, so that I can devote my resources to the important things.
pg. 202

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Wisdom for Today
One of the other gains I have received from working with others and sharing my story has been developing the capacity to be honest. I found that when I talked with other addicts and alcoholics that I did not feel the need to hide the truth. I could be totally honest with them and did not need to worry about my self-image, nor did I have to fear reprisal. Sharing openly and honestly about my addiction as well as my struggles and victories in recovery, helped me come to terms with myself. I found that I no longer needed to hide. What has been even more rewarding has been the fact that I have been able to take the new honesty into other areas of my life and into other relationships.
I cannot say that I have been able completely to rid myself of the character defect of dishonesty, as I occasionally still catch myself falling back into old behaviors; but I can say that the standard of perfection is no longer my goal. I have learned that I only need to seek progress. Through the service work I have done and continue to do, I have developed a manner of living life honestly. When I do catch myself falling back into old behaviors, I quickly go back and honestly share what I have done and get myself back on track. Even this has become easy now. None of this would have been possible without my working with others. There is just something about looking into the eyes of someone else who has crawled through the minefield of addiction that promotes the growth of honesty. Am I willing to share honestly with other addicts and alcoholics?
Meditations for the Heart
I remember when I was a little boy and my parents would leave to go out. Even though I was well cared for by whoever was watching after me, I would watch and wait for my parents to come home. When I would see the car drive up or hear the door open and see they were back, I would feel a real sense of relief. As I got older, the roles would reverse. My parents would wait up for me and breathe a sigh of relief when I came home safe. Now I sometimes imagine that this is very much what my Higher Power must have been through with me. He sat waiting and waiting, always watching for me to return. He would pray earnestly on my behalf that someday I would come back to Him. I imagine what a joyous celebration He must have had when I finally returned home. Today I celebrate also, because I know that in the program I am home. In the program I live with Him in my life everyday. Nothing could be better than being home. Have I found a home in the program?
Petitions to my Higher Power
God,
You never cease to amaze me. When I am tired, You find a way to revive and refresh my spirit. When I am angry, You find a way to calm my sprit and bring me peace. When I am sad, You find a way to make me smile again and offer me new hope. Thank You for all that You do for me in my life. Give me courage for this new day, and lead me on the pathway of honesty.
Amen.

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You are reading from the book Food for Thought.

Growing Up

There is no magic. Nothing - be it person, place, or thing - is going to give us instant and permanent gratification. We keep thinking in the back of our mind that there is some way we can manipulate life into granting us all of our desires, even when they contradict each other.

When we seriously and with honest effort work our way through the Twelve Steps, we begin to grow up emotionally and spiritually. Abstinence from compulsive overeating makes this growth possible. It is not easy, but it is definitely worth the effort.

Acceptance and renunciation are necessary if we are to live with satisfaction in the real world. Grandiose illusions are of no help. We come to understand that certain foods, emotions, and attitudes are not for us if we are to maintain our sanity.

There is no magic, but there is a Power greater than ourselves. Who is directing our growth.

Grant me the willingness to grow up.