Divine Guidance

AA Thought for the Day

Getting sober was a long and painful journey, but we can truthfully say it was worth it. We know now that all we’ve been through has led us to AA and was part of our spiritual journey. We found in AA what we had been vainly seeking in the bottle. We’ve learned that our journey goes on as we continue to deal with our shortcomings and the human problems everybody must face. And when we reach a crossroads or a roadblock, we know that our Higher Power will come to our aid in making the right choices and surmounting all obstacles.
 
 Do I turn to my Higher Power to sustain me as I continue the spiritual journey that brought me to AA?

Meditation for the Day

As I continue on my spiritual journey,

Real world

Reflection for the Day

For a good part of my life, I saw things mostly in negative terms. Everything was serious, heavy, or just plain awful. Perhaps now I can truly change my attitude, searching out people in recovery who have learned how to live comfortably in the real world—without numbing their brains with mood-altering substances.

If things get rough today, can I take a quiet moment and say to myself, as the philosopher Homer once said, “Bear patiently, my heart—for you have suffered heavier things”?

Today I Pray

Change our way of life

A.A. Thought for the Day

When you come into an A.A. meeting, you're not just coming into a meeting, you're coming into a new life. I'm always impressed by the change I see in people after they've been in A.A. for a while. I sometimes take an inventory of myself, to see whether I have changed, and if so, in what way. Before I met A.A., I was very selfish. I wanted my own way in everything. I don't believe I ever grew up. When things went wrong, I sulked like a spoiled child and often went out and got drunk. Am I still all "get" and no "give"?

Meditation for the Day

There are two things that we must have if we are going to change our way of life.

Seeking Wisdom

He who knows and knows he knows, he is wise—Follow him!

~Arabian saying

In the beginning of practicing the principles of our program, a complete understanding of them and knowing why they work is not really important. Sponsors usually tell a newcomer, “Just do it!” and “Fake it ’til you make it!” Analyzing “why” may become important later. But in the beginning, we accept advice blindly because the friends who teach us are, themselves, examples of why the principles work.

The program we follow is a simple one. All we need to do is know that the Steps work, and follow that knowledge.

Nurturing new growth

Spring is a time of new and beautiful growth. There can be growth for us, too. We have spent too long in the fall and winter of our lives, the mind-altering substances filtering the sunshine and fading the flowers. Finally, our lives appeared empty and dead.

But like earth at the end of winter, there is still life within us. And when we make the conditions suitable, using abstinence, patience, and love, our lives will again bring forth new growth.

Am I returning or preparing for new growth?

Higher Power, may I feel your love shine down on me to help me grow.

I will prepare for new growth today by…

OUR PATHS ARE OUR OWN

. . . there was nothing left for us but to pick up the simple kit of spiritual tools laid at our feet. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 25

My first attempt at the Steps was one of obligation and necessity, which resulted in a deep feeling of discouragement in the face of all those adverbs: courageously; completely; humbly; directly; and only. I considered Bill W. fortunate to have gone through such a major, even sensational, spiritual experience.

 I had to discover, as time went on, that my path was my own. After a few twenty-four hours in the A.A. Fellowship, thanks especially to the sharing of members in the meetings, I understood that everyone gradually finds his or her own pace in moving through the Steps.

ROUND-THE-CLOCK FAITH

Faith has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through us, or we perish. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, P. 16

The essence of my spirituality, and my sobriety, rests on a round-the-clock faith in a Higher Power. I need to remember and rely on the God of my understanding as I pursue all of my daily activities. How comforting for me is the concept that God works in and through people.

As I pause in my day, do I recall specific concrete examples of God's presence? Am I amazed and uplifted by the number of times this power is evident? I am overwhelmed with gratitude for my God's presence in my life of recovery. Without this omnipotent force in my every activity, I would again fall into the depths of my disease - and death.

Waiting

Reflection for the Day

Before I came to the program—in fact, before I knew of the program’s existence—I drifted from crisis to crisis. Occasionally, I tried to use my will to chart a new course; however, like a rudderless ship, I inevitably foundered once again on the rocks of my own despair. Today, in contrast, I receive guidance from my Higher Power. Sometimes, the only answer is a sense of peace or an assurance that all is well. Even though there may be a time of waiting before I see results, or before any direct guidance comes, will I try to remain confident that things are working out in ways that will be for the greatest good of everyone concerned?

Today I Pray

Conscience is the perfect interpreter of life.

~Karl Barth

In a moment’s pause, before we respond to a person or situation, may come a clear message indicating how we are to act or what we are to say. In that quiet moment, our conscience calls to us. Our willingness to pause, listen, and then act as our Inner Guide suggests, will ensure that our relations with others will reflect our true values.

Many of us feel God’s presence most through our conscience. Seldom are we truly in doubt about the proper response to a friend.

Inconsistency

The secret of success is constancy of purpose.

~Benjamin Disraeli

Inconsistency is one of the biggest boulders that block our way on the road to recovery. When we’re really fired up to throw off the bondage of the past, we can’t wait to do what it takes. If that means meetings, then so be it. If it means reading, we will read until our eyes hurt. If it means digging into the past, just watch the cobwebs fly! For a while.

Then, sometimes much sooner than later, we figure we’ve done enough, the whole venture may get “old” or seem excessive—so we slack off.

Breathe

The well-known saying “There is nothing to fear but fear itself” seems somewhat simplistic, as does the advice to always “choose love instead of fear.” How do we actually embody these bits of wisdom?

We begin by learning the art of centering by focusing on our breath whenever fear or anxiety starts to grab us. Centering allows us to blend and flow with the current situation rather than block and resist it. Instead of reacting habitually, we pause and begin with our breath. We slowly breathe in through our nose and then hold that breath for a count of four. Next, we breathe that breath out through pursed lips, relaxing our facial muscles, for a count of eight. We repeat this process until we calm down.