...the attitude of faith is to let go, and become open to truth, whatever it might turn out to be.
--Alan Watts
Right there, Step Two gently and very gradually began to infiltrate my life. I can't say upon what occasion or upon what day I came to believe in a Power greater than myself, but I certainly have that belief now. To acquire it, I had only to stop fighting and practice the rest of A.A.'s program as enthusiastically as I could.
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, 27:1
Though our decision was a vital and crucial step, it could have little permanent effect unless at once followed by a strenuous effort to face, and to be rid of, the things in ourselves which had been blocking us.
--Alcoholics Anonymous, 64:0
5-Sep-2015
Happy Saturday everyone!
Recently at a meeting we plowed through the more salient parts of 'We Agnostics' - which is really nothing more than a love story about God, and of course the obligatory 'Appendix II - Types of Spiritual Experience'.
So much to talk about there! We could spend a year on those paragraphs, and it would not have been a wasted year.
Before we read I said a quick prayer to myself that as a group we would not miss the whole point of the second step and go down that oh-so-common step two rabbit hole, which typically involves discussion on WHAT the second step absolutely IS NOT, such as: HOW I found God, or WHAT God is to me, or the NEED for God, or *...*, *...*, insert your 'human explanation or justification' here.
Such discussion is way off the point, and beyond the comprehension of the newcomer, who is scared, beaten down and in dire need of moving forward with the solution, not wallowing in deep, self-important discussion on the need for or existence of God. Let us never forget that the newcomer has a death sentence hanging over their heads and needs swift action rather than pointless rhetoric desperately. Time is off the essence. To delay the spiritual experience is fatal.
This is the trap people who have not had the 9th step experience fall into, for they do not yet have the whole picture. Such pointless discussion actually kills alcoholics, for such discussion promotes THOUGHT, which is the very thing we're looking to put on hold till we get them to the ninth step. New Ideas are a management decision, and we got out of the management business in Step One.
NO! The Book posits that the second step is the all about the subtraction of old ideas, not the introduction of new ones. It goes on to tell us that if we are willing to face and be rid of our old ideas, we will get the new, right ones in due time.
When, specifically? Glad you asked. It goes on to say that in step five we will 'begin to feel the nearness of our creator'. So - if the actual God of the newcomers understanding is going to knock on their door during their fifth step, then why oh why do we waste time trying to explain the reality or need for that which is coming to knock on their door and introduce themselves anyway to the newcomer in Step Five?
I'm very grateful the man who came to me armed with the facts asked me a very simple question on my second day of sobriety, which was: 'do you believe I have found something in my life that is working for me'? That's it, that's Step Two, folks.
That's all it is.
I am so overpaid. What a wonderful way of life we have found. I love each and every one of you. 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.