Giving It AwayEarly in sobriety, I would have been skeptical that I could ever practice the 12th step because of the joy I received rather than because it would keep me sober. Today, I absolutely know that's true. Sometimes, I even experience it!
Though they knew they must help other alcoholics if they would remain sober, that motive became secondary. It was transcended by the happiness they found in giving themselves to others.Alcoholics Anonymous, p.159
Those words, for me, refer to a transference of power, through which God, as I understand Him, enters my life. Through prayer and meditation, I open channels, then I establish and improve my conscious contact with God. Through action I then receive the power I need to maintain my sobriety each day. By maintaining my spiritual condition, by giving away what has been freely given to me, I am granted a daily reprieve.
It is not only a way for the Higher Power to enter my life. It is a way for him/her/it to enter the lives of those I help. For whatever reason, the Higher Power cannot or does not express love for us mortals directly (at least in my experience). I think instead he/she/it relies on us to establish contact with other people and, when we are open to being such channels, his/her/its love flows through us and into the other person. The steps of A.A. (also the Ten Commandments and probably the precepts of other—non-Jewish, non-Christian, non-Islamic—religions, as well as the moral precepts of right vs. wrong that most people learn as children) can be seen as suggestions as to how to prepare ourselves to become such channels.Updated at 23:40 26 Aug:
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6 comments:
I too thought spirituality was something that would always be a mystery to me. It wasn't until I had matured in my recovery and taken care of my most pressing problems that I found I could leave the thoughts of myself long enough to worry about others... And when I did, it was oh so rewarding.
I never intentionally tried to practice the 12th step, I just woke up one day and realized I had been actively doing it for years.
Hey Trinker,
I think we should rip out the page in the 12x12 that says we could never have a true partnership with another human being. That is very depressing......
Good to read that quote from page 159. Three and a bit years sober and I still seem to hold back from giving of myself to others. Still stuck in the what have I to offer/rejection/ridicule rut.
Good post.
Thanks for sharing.
Yea, good post! I didn't used to think I had anything to give. Then someone in the program told me I had my story, & experience, I could start out by sharing it. It worked, cuz it did help others, & in turn myself. But that's not why I do it today. I think if we remain teachable we can teach, something like that. We are each other's teachers, & students. A good thing to remember, for me.
The part of this program that gives me the deepest sense of wellbeing is helping others. I haven't completed the steps yet but by giving rides, welcoming someone newer than me, listening, commitments, are all things I have been blessed to participate in. I can only imagine as I progress through recovery what joy is ahead.
i offer comment when asked, but i don't think i could (yet) do it actively...
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