All these failings generate fear, a soul – sickness in its own right. “Fear knocked at the door, faith answered, no one was there.” I don’t know to whom this quote should be attributed, but it certainly indicates clearly that fear is an illusion. I create the illusion myself. I experienced fear early in my life and I mistakenly thought that the mere presence of it made me a coward. I didn’t know that one of the definitions of “Courage” is “The willingness to do the right thing in spite of fear.” Courage, then, is not necessarily the absence of fear. During the times I didn’t have love in my life I most assuredly had fear. To fear God is to be afraid of joy. In looking back, I realize that, during the times I feared God most, there was no joy in my life. As I learned not to fear God, I also learned to experience joy.
Twenty–Four Hours A Day
A.A. Thought For The Day
Every time we go to an A.A. meeting, every time we say the Lord’s Prayer, every time we have a quiet time before breakfast, we’re paying a premium on our insurance against taking that first drink. And every time we help another alcoholic, we’re making a large payment on our drink insurance. We’re making sure that our policy doesn’t lapse. Am I building up an endowment in serenity, peace, and happiness that will put me on easy street for the rest of my life?
Meditation For The Day
I gain faith by my own experience of God’s power in my life. The constant, persistent recognition of God’s spirit in all my personal relationships, the ever accumulating weight of evidence in support of God’s guidance, the numberless instances in which seeming chance or wonderful coincidence can be traced to God’s purpose in my life. All these things gradually engender a feeling of wonder, humility, and gratitude to God. These in turn are followed by a more sure and abiding faith in God and His purposes.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that my faith may be strengthened every day. I pray that I may find confirmation of my life in the good things that have come into my life.
As Bill Sees It
Learn in Quiet, In 1941, a news clipping was called to our attention by a New York member. In an obituary notice from a local paper, there appeared these words: “God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Never had we seen so much A.A. in so few words. With amazing speed the Serenity Prayer came into general use.
In meditation, debate has no place. We rest quietly with the thoughts or prayers of spiritually cantered people who understand, so that we may experience and learn. This is the state of being that so often discovers and deepens a conscious contact with God.
Walk in Dry Places
We can’t go home again…
Living here and now.
Despite all evidence that we must live for today, some of us persist in trying to recapture the past. We may be holding a few good memories that we would like to bring alive today. More likely, we may also be re–fighting old battles in the hope that this time we’ll come out winners. But since change is taking place everywhere at every moment, we can never return to any previous place or time. Time does march on, and we are part of the parade. Whether we were winners or losers in the past, we can live only in the here and now. The good news is that we can retain any lessons from the past and put them to use today. If we have scalding memories of twisted relationships, we can remind ourselves that growth and understanding now place us out of harm’s way. And if we remember the things that did turn our right even in the confused past, we can reflect that even greater good is possible today. Our home is never in the past. It is in the time and place where we are today. As we make the best of it, all of our future homes in place and time will improve, for “In God’s house are many mansions.” Accepting the value of all of its lessons, I will close the door firmly on the past, knowing that I must devote all of my interest and energies to the present moment.
Keep It Simple
We create revolution by living it. –Jerry Rubin
There’s a lot wrong in the world – Child abuse, homeless and hungry people, pollution. Our old way of dealing with these troubles was to break the rules or to “Drop out” by using chemicals. Now we have a new way to change the world. We’re changing ourselves. One Day at a Time, we’re acting like the caring, responsible people we want to be. We use the ideas of the program in our lives. We’re kinder. We’re more honest. We stand up for ourselves and for others who need our help. What if the whole world started working the Steps? What a wonderful world this would be!
Prayer for the Day: Higher Power, please work through me today. Help me make the world a little better place.
Action for the Day: I’ll list one thing that brothers me about the world today. How can using the ideas of the program help solve that problem? Remember, the program tells us to look at our own behaviour.
Father Leo’s Daily Meditation
Power
“Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts, perhaps the fear of loss of power.” John Steinbeck.
In my recovery I am beginning to understand that so much “Power ” in the world is really fear. The power that seeks to attack first in order to feel secure is really fear. The power that always has to have an answer is really fear. The power that arrogantly refuses to listen is really fear. So much power is “Fear” dressed in illusion!
Spiritual power has the ability to be vulnerable. It can live with confusion. It can stand alone. It allows others to walk away to pursue their happiness. Spiritual power can exist in suffering and loneliness, and it does not expect perfection.
My recovery is teaching me to live and let others live, too. My freedom must respect the freedom of others; respect is a two–way street!
Give me the power that can rest in imperfection.
Daily Inspiration
It’s very possible that our problems may not be as big as they seem and could sometimes actually be a blessing. Lord, I place my trust in You to see me through my trials and help me to become a stronger and wiser person because of them. Enthusiasm will be yours if you love God, love people, and love life. Lord, the nearer I follow Your way, the happier I become.
Constributed By: Shreerang Karkare
