Thursday, May 13, 2010

It's Just That Simple


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Originally uploaded by *reina*

An exchange I had with a revered AA long-timer and fellow social worker before she shared her story in my home group last evening:

She: What time do you get up usually ?
Me: Close to 7.
She: What are you doing this Friday morning at 7 ?
Me: Nothing but getting up.
She: Great ! You're speaking for me at the 7a meeting.
Me: Ok, then !
She: It's just that simple.

How this program of AA works is indeed "just that simple". When someone asks you to share your story at a meeting, you accept with grace. Even if you're anxious or don't want to. When you are asked to fill in to chair or to make coffee, the same applies. If another alcoholic is in need or in trouble, it's pretty much the same thing ... you step up, show up, be in service.

Bill W and Dr. Bob were ingeniously simple in their approach to getting sober. From a research perspective, their program is both valid and reliable. It does what it's supposed to do and it can be replicated over and over again. Brilliant !

Many of the suggestions offered to newcomers are utterly simple in nature. The hardest part is committing to doing them each day, every day.

Don't take that first drink.
Get a sponsor and utilize them.
Go to a meeting regularly.
Read and practice the Steps.
Pray in the morning and at night.

In the rooms, of all of the above statements of good soberly direction, the one that many folks struggle with is prayer. In my teacher's book about receiving God, I have arrived at a place where he speaks of how natural and simple prayer is. A portion of his passage goes like this: "Prayer is a natural thing. It is what happens when you are completely interested, and it is this voice that God always hears. Prayer rouses God from his sleep and makes him do holy things."

The boatloads of energy it has taken up within my being to analyze and re-think and plan and re-analyze and obsess and worry about my every action with every person in every situation.  When all I ever had to do was talk to God,  turn over what I could not hold,  and let go.   In any moment,  any where.

How relieving to know I can live life following a few easy steps, a day at a time. It's just that simple.

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