WE BECOME WILLING............

God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and Wisdom to know the difference. Thy will, not mine, be done. *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~ *~*~*~* August 2, 2023 WE BECOME WILLING............ At the moment we are trying to put our lives in order. But this is not an end in itself. ALCOHOLIC ANONYMOUS, p. 77 How easily I can become misdirected in approaching the Eighth Step! I wish to be free, somehow transformed by my Sixth and Seventh Step work. Now, more than ever, I am vulnerable to my own self-interest and hidden agenda. I am careful to remember that self-satisfaction, which sometimes comes through the spoken forgiveness of those I have harmed, is not my true objective. I become willing to make amends, knowing that through this process I am mended and made fit to move forward, to know and desire God's will for me. ******************************************** In God’s Economy “In God’s economy, nothing is wasted. Through failure, we learn a lesson in humility which is probably needed, painful though it is.” We did not always come closer to wisdom by reason of our virtues; our better understanding is often rooted in the pains of our former follies. Because this has been the essence of our individual experience, it is also the essence of our experience as a fellowship. 1. Letter, 1942 - 2. Grapevine, November 1961 ******* GRAPEVINE quote of the day "I didn't need to learn how to meditate before meditating. It turned out to be one of those learn-as-you-go things – just as learning how to stay sober is part of staying sober a day at a time." Anonymous, November 1991 "Trusting the Silence," Beginners' Book: Getting and Staying Sober in AA © AA Grapevine, Inc. 1944-2014 ********************************************** Step Two Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. —Step Two We come to believe in a better life through the powerful gift of other people – hearing them, seeing them, and watching the gift of recovery at work in their lives. There is a Power greater than us. There is real hope now that things can and will be different and better for our life and us. We are not in a "do it ourselves" program. We do not have to exert willpower to change. We do not have to force our recovery to happen. We do not have to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps just so we believe that there is a Power greater than ourselves – one who will get the job done in our life. This Power will do for us what your greatest and most diligent efforts could not accomplish. Our Higher Power will restore us to a sane and beneficial life. All we do is believe. Look. Watch. See the people around you. See the healing they have found. Then discover your own faith, your own belief, your own healing. Today, regardless of my circumstances, I will believe to the best of my ability that a Power greater than myself can and will restore me to a peaceful, sane way of living. Then I will relax and let Him do that. *******