You gotta work like everything depends on you
but you gotta pray like everything depends on God.
--Jimmy Laffey, the Bay Ridge Group, 1994
The fruit of Silence is prayer.
The fruit of Prayer is faith.
The fruit of Faith is love.
The fruit of Love is service.
The fruit of Service is peace.
--Mother Theresa
We shouldn't be shy on this matter of prayer. Better men the we are using it constantly. It works, if we have the proper attitude and work at it.
--Alcoholics Anonymous, 85:3
23-Aug-15
Happy Monday everyone!
Yesterday we spoke of the concept of using God as a sort of 'cosmic concierge', my go-to man if you will for all my hearts desires. Thank God this is not, was not, could not - be the case. The things I prayed for years ago terrify me today.
No! My experience is that the purpose of prayer is to change the mind and heart of the one who prays to align it with God's will, which is always contained in the AA prayers we say. Yes, I do believe God hears our prayers, and yes I do believe that God does work in the hearts and minds of all men for the greater good of Her divine plan, but Her plan is Her plan - she has Her plan for Her reasons. How could my limited feeble and finite mind grasp the how and why of Her magnificent great will & reason?
'Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by accident' Dr. Paul once wrote. Just for today I need to focus on just what the serenity prayer instructs me to focus on: 1) God's help to be at one with God's plan, however short-sighted and cruel it may seem at the moment; 2) God's help for courage - that means the strength to fight when I KNOW IN FACT I am going to get my ass kicked, and 3) to know there is nothing left to do when there is nothing I can do except rest in God's omnipotent grace. All centered in prayer, all because of prayer, all is possible with prayer.
This is why 'ACCEPTANCE IS NOT THE ANSWER TO ALL MY PROBLEMS'. Some of the time, anyway. I need to prayerfully ask each morning what God's vision is for me, and I am each day a little less misguided by own selfish plans and designs. Honestly - every so often, someone will ask me to pray for them, or for their mother, or most recently, and I wish I was joking - to pray for their dog. My answer is always:
'Why'?
They rarely can answer, but the honest ones will tell me because they think it'll somehow contribute to an outcome in - let's face it - their favor. That is not God's will - that is a childish game of cosmic tit-for-tat. God's universe does not work that way. The bitter truth is they feel cut off from the sunlight of the spirit and have yet to experience being fully bathed in God's most sweet and tender grace, in full knowledge that - whatever happens - all is right with the universe, all is as it should be, and we shall - all of us - be home very soon with our Great mother who presides over all.
Thus, I continue this foole's journey through life, creating my own heaven on earth with the daily and thorough application of step's 10, 11 & 12 creating the fellowship I crave. And so can you, however jittery and alone you may feel at the moment. Relief is always twelve short steps away.
The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God can't keep you. (Dan B.)
This really is the easier, softer way. I love you all. Thank you for my life.
--Yours in love and service,
COG, 1st class.
but you gotta pray like everything depends on God.
--Jimmy Laffey, the Bay Ridge Group, 1994
The fruit of Silence is prayer.
The fruit of Prayer is faith.
The fruit of Faith is love.
The fruit of Love is service.
The fruit of Service is peace.
--Mother Theresa
We shouldn't be shy on this matter of prayer. Better men the we are using it constantly. It works, if we have the proper attitude and work at it.
--Alcoholics Anonymous, 85:3
23-Aug-15
Happy Monday everyone!
Yesterday we spoke of the concept of using God as a sort of 'cosmic concierge', my go-to man if you will for all my hearts desires. Thank God this is not, was not, could not - be the case. The things I prayed for years ago terrify me today.
No! My experience is that the purpose of prayer is to change the mind and heart of the one who prays to align it with God's will, which is always contained in the AA prayers we say. Yes, I do believe God hears our prayers, and yes I do believe that God does work in the hearts and minds of all men for the greater good of Her divine plan, but Her plan is Her plan - she has Her plan for Her reasons. How could my limited feeble and finite mind grasp the how and why of Her magnificent great will & reason?
'Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God's world by accident' Dr. Paul once wrote. Just for today I need to focus on just what the serenity prayer instructs me to focus on: 1) God's help to be at one with God's plan, however short-sighted and cruel it may seem at the moment; 2) God's help for courage - that means the strength to fight when I KNOW IN FACT I am going to get my ass kicked, and 3) to know there is nothing left to do when there is nothing I can do except rest in God's omnipotent grace. All centered in prayer, all because of prayer, all is possible with prayer.
This is why 'ACCEPTANCE IS NOT THE ANSWER TO ALL MY PROBLEMS'. Some of the time, anyway. I need to prayerfully ask each morning what God's vision is for me, and I am each day a little less misguided by own selfish plans and designs. Honestly - every so often, someone will ask me to pray for them, or for their mother, or most recently, and I wish I was joking - to pray for their dog. My answer is always:
'Why'?
They rarely can answer, but the honest ones will tell me because they think it'll somehow contribute to an outcome in - let's face it - their favor. That is not God's will - that is a childish game of cosmic tit-for-tat. God's universe does not work that way. The bitter truth is they feel cut off from the sunlight of the spirit and have yet to experience being fully bathed in God's most sweet and tender grace, in full knowledge that - whatever happens - all is right with the universe, all is as it should be, and we shall - all of us - be home very soon with our Great mother who presides over all.
Thus, I continue this foole's journey through life, creating my own heaven on earth with the daily and thorough application of step's 10, 11 & 12 creating the fellowship I crave. And so can you, however jittery and alone you may feel at the moment. Relief is always twelve short steps away.
The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God can't keep you. (Dan B.)
This really is the easier, softer way. I love you all. Thank you for my life.
--Yours in love and service,
COG, 1st class.
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Welcome as a witness to a fools journey out of the darkness. I welcome all tidings - you are all my teachers on this path toward a meaningful and purposeful sobriety.
COG, 1st Cl.