Daily Recovery Readings
Daily Reflections
July 18
GRATEFUL FOR WHAT I HAVE, p.208
During this process of learning more about humility, the most profound result of all was the change in our attitude toward God.
-12 & 12, p. 75
Today my prayers consist mostly of saying thank you to my Higher Power for my sobriety and for the wonder of God’s abundance, but I need also to ask for help and the power to carry out His will for me. I no longer need God each minute to rescue me from the situations I get myself into by not doing His will. Now my gratitude seems to be directly linked to humility. As long as I have the humility to be grateful for what I have, God continues to provide for me.
Twenty-Four Hours A Day
July 18
A.A. Thought For The Day
Two things can spoil group unity–gossip and criticism. To avoid these divisive things, we must realize that we’re all in the same boat. We’re like a group of people in a life-boat after the steamer has sunk. If we’re going to be saved, we’ve got to pull together. It’s a matter of life or death for us. Gossip and criticism are sure ways of disrupting any A.A. group. We’re all in A.A. to keep sober ourselves and to help each other to keep sober. And neither gossip nor criticism helps anyone to stay sober. Am I guilty of gossip or criticism?
Meditation For The Day
We should try to be grateful for all the blessings we have received and which we do not deserve. Gratitude to God for all His blessings will make us humble. Remember that we could do little by ourselves, and now we must rely largely on God’s grace in helping ourselves and others. People do not care much for those who are smug and self-satisfied or those who gossip and criticize. But people are impressed by true humility. So we should try to walk humbly at all times. Gratitude to God and true humility are what make us effective.
Prayer For The Day
I pray that I may walk humbly with God. I pray that I may rely on His grace to carry me through.
As Bill Sees It
Arrogance and Its Opposite, p. 199
A very tough-minded prospect was taken to his first A.A. meeting, where two speakers (or maybe lecturers) themed their talks on “God as I understand Him.” Their attitude oozed arrogance. In fact, the final speaker got far overboard on his personal theological convictions.
Both were repeating my performance of years before. Implicit in everything they said was the same idea: “Folks, listen to us. We have the only true brand of A.A. — and you’d better get it!
The new prospect said he’d had it — and he had. His sponsor protested that this wasn’t real A.A. But it was too late; nobody could touch him after that.
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I see “humility for today” as a safe and secure stance midway between violent emotional extremes. It is a quiet place where I can keep enough perspective and enough balance to take my next small step up the clearly marked road that points toward eternal values.
Grapevine
1. April, 1961
2. June, 1961
Thought For The Day
I can’t; He can; I think I’ll let Him.
Alcoholics Anonymous (The Big Book) In Short Takes
Part 2. They Stopped In Time
Fear of Fear
This lady was cautious. She decided she wouldn’t let herself go in her drinking. And she would never, never take that morning drink!
As we walked back through the hall, I, for the first time in my life, said to another human being, “I’m having trouble with my drinking too.” She took me by the hand and introduced me to the woman that I’m very proud to call my sponsor. This woman and her husband are both in A.A., and she said to me, “Oh, but you’re not the alcoholic; it’s your husband.” I said, “Yes.” She said, “How long have you been married?” I said, “Twenty-seven years.” She said, “Twenty-seven years to an alcoholic! How did you ever stand it?” I thought, now here’s a nice, sympathetic soul! This is for me. I said, “Well, I stood it to keep the home together, and for the children’s sake.” She said, “Yes, I know. You’re just a martyr, aren’t you?” I walked away from that woman grinding my teeth and cursing under my breath. Fortunately, I didn’t say a word to George on the way home. But that night I tried to go to sleep. And I thought, “You’re some martyr, Jane! Let’s look at the record.” And when I looked at it, I knew I was just as much a drunk as George was, if not worse. I nudged George next morning, and I said, “I’m in,” and he said, “Oh, I knew you’d make it.”
