Thoughts For The Day~*~Faith ^*^*^ September 22
TransitionsDaily
~A.A.
Thoughts For The
Day~
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Faith
"While
drinking, we were certain that our intelligence, backed by will power, could
rightly control our inner lives and guarantee us success in the world around
us. This brave philosophy, wherein each man played God, sounded good in
the speaking, but it still had to meet the acid test: How well did it
actually work? One good look in the mirror was answer enough."
c. 1967 AAWS, As Bill
Sees It, p. 225
Thought to Consider . . .
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and
the evidence of things not seen.
*~*AACRONYMS*~*
F A I T H
Finding Answers In The
Heart
Still another difficulty is that you may become jealous of
the attention he bestows on other people, especially alcoholics. You have been
starving for his companionship, yet he spends long hours helping other men and
their families. You feel he should now be yours. The fact is that he should work
with other people to maintain his own sobriety. Sometimes he will be so
interested that he becomes really neglectful. Your house is filled with
strangers. You may not like some of them. He gets stirred up about their
troubles, but not at all about yours. It will do little good if you point that
out and urge more attention for yourself. We find it a real mistake to dampen
his enthusiasm for alcoholic work. You should join in his efforts as much as you
possibly can. We suggest that you direct some of your thought to the wives of
his new alcoholic friends. They need the counsel and love of a woman who has
gone through what you have.
2001 AAWS Inc.
Alcoholics Anonymous, page
119
A "LIMITLESS LODE"
Like a gaunt prospector, belt drawn in over the last ounce of food, our pick struck gold. Joy at our release from a lifetime of frustration knew no bounds. Father feels he has struck something better than gold. For a time he may try to hug the new treasure to himself. He may not see at once that he has barely scratched a limitless lode which will pay dividends only if he mines it for the rest of his life and insists on giving away the entire product.
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, pp. 128-29
When I talk with a newcomer to A.A., my past looks me straight in the face. I see the pain in those hopeful eyes, I extend my hand, and then the miracle happens: I become healed. My problems vanish as I reach out to his trembling soul.
Copyright 1990
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS WORLD SERVICES, INC.
*~*^As Bill Sees It^*~*
Neither Dependence nor Self-Sufficiency
"When we insisted, like infants, that people protect and take care of us or that the world owed us a living, then the result was unfortunate. The people we most loved often pushed us aside or perhaps deserted us entirely. Our disillusionment was hard to bear. We failed to see that, though adult in years, we were still behaving childishly, trying to turn everybody - friends, wives, husbands, even the world itself - into protective parents. We refused to learn that overdependence upon people is unsuccessful because all people are fallible, and even the best of them will sometimes let us down, especially when our demands for attention become unreasonable."
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"We are now on a different basis: the basis of trusting and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves. Just to the extent that we do as we think He would have us do, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us to match calamity with serenity."
1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 115
2. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 68
*~*^Big Book Quote^*~*
"Let no alcoholic say he cannot recover
unless he has his family back. This just isn't so. In some cases the wife
will never come back for one reason or another. Remind the prospect that
his recovery is not dependent upon people. It is dependent upon
his relationship with God. We have seen men get well whose families
have not returned at all. We have seen others slip when the family
came back too soon."
Alcoholics Anonymous 4th Edition
Working With Others, pg.
99
*^Twenty
Four
Hours A
Day^*
A.A. Thought for the Day
Step Eight is, "Made a list of
all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all."
Step Nine is, "Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except
when to do so would injure them or others." Making restitution for the
wrongs we have done is often very difficult. It hurts our pride. But the
rewards are great. When we go to a person and say we are sorry, the
reaction we get is almost invariably good. It takes courage to make the
plunge, but the results more than justify it. A load is off your chest and
often an arch enemy has been turned into a friend. Have I done my best to make
all the restitution possible?
Meditation for the Day
There should be joy in living the spiritual life. A faith without
joy is not entirely genuine. If you are not happier as a result of your
faith, there is probably something wrong with it. Faith in God should bring
you a deep feeling of happiness and security, no matter what happens on the
surface of your life. Each new day is another opportunity to serve God and
improve your relationships with other people. This should bring joy. Life
should be abundant and outreaching. It should be glowing and outgoing, in
ever-widening circles.
Prayer for
the Day
I pray that my horizons
may grow ever wide. I pray that I may keep reaching out for more service and
companionship.
Hazelden Foundation PO Box 176 Center City, MN
55012
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