Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Looking at things differently



todAAy i AAm grAAteful & thAAnkful

for the concept behind "as we understood Him". I think those are the most important words in 12-step recovery. Without them, I would not be alive today. I would not have kept coming back if you guys had forced me to accept the God of my upbringing. But you gave me the freedom to form my own concept of a Higher Power, one that evolves each day I stay sober.

that I'm pretty sure I'll remain sober as long as I keep a relatively close contact with my Higher Power

that as long as I remain sober, I can continue my recovery from alcoholic drinking and thinking

to be more open-minded to new ideas

Letting go doesn't mean giving up... it means moving on.
- Anonymous


8 comments:

Mary Christine said...

I am glad for whatever got you to keep coming back - because you are one of my favorite people!

Syd said...

I too am glad to have flexibility in having a Higher Power--not some predetermined religious figure. And my understanding has evolved through Al-Anon. I am grateful.

Jess Mistress of Mischief said...

I'm glad you keep coming back too.

I'm also glad I have amended my preconceived ideas of the God of my upbringing and have amended my wrong ideas of faith and religion and went back to made amends for damaging character assassination of the church as a whole and specific churches I had personal experience with growing up.

:)

Today I have a God who is HUGE, and loves all people, and who guides and directs me by a compass that is emplanted in me and continues to direct me in the experience of the ideals of my heart.

Thank Goodness "we" seems to be very different from "me" in ideas of understanding, grace, mercy and love.

Ya'll just keep finding ways to break my brittle heart and grow a more flexible, unified and stronger heart in it's place.

marie said...

I am thankful that as long as I am sober, I have a chance to continue to recover from my alcoholic thinking, too. It can get pretty ugly at times. I am grateful I no longer have to chase drunken oblivion to escape that thinking anymore. The 12 Steps are my tools to deal with my thinking now. YAY!

drybottomgirl said...

I can totally relate. "My Understanding" has made all the difference!

JeremyRT said...

It's a beautiful thing that phrase - I'm allowed to create my own ideas which is a freedom I never knew

Todd HellsKitchen said...

The "letting go" quote soooo rocks!!

Bill said...

Amen, Brother Dave. I like how my pal Sheldon puts it: I was brought up thinking God was like a mean, old, alcoholic grandfather who was gonna knock the shit out of me the minute I did something he didn't like.