Need to take the time to try to do what the 11th step suggest we do. My thoughts go to Bill W’s. suggestion in the 12&12; the Prayer of St. Francis.
I’m not picturing the scenes he describes in his suggestion, but I need to examine some of the words and thoughts. For instance, I’m thinking about the opening of that prayer. Lord make me an instrument of your peace. What kind of peace are we talking about? What did Francis mean?
In the promises in the 9th step, it says we will come to know the meaning of peace. Again, what kind of peace?
Peace on earth? For the world? Or just for me? Us? Certainly no group of people, us alcoholics, need peace of mind and heart more than we do. After what seemed to me a century of warfare. Fighting everyone and everything, including the alcohol.
It would seem to me that if I could just achieve that kind of peace. Peace of mind, that just maybe I could not only be a better person, but maybe I could be an example to someone else, who might desperatley need this same thing; recovery and peace of mind.
The prayer asks that God make us so. The ninth step suggests, in fact promises us, that this will just happen, if we work these steps. But, isn’t that the same thing? I mean, isn’t the effort we are required to put into these steps a form of prayer? After all, the jumping off place into the action of these steps begins with a prayer; the third step prayer. We offer ourselves to God to do with us what he will. We ask him to make the results of our efforts and his grace to be an example to others. We confess a need for his power, his love, and his way of life.
Again, for the fevered mind there is no greater need ! than peace and rest. But there is another reason for this peace. At the end of the book, it tells us we can’t give what we haven’t got. It tells us to go get it.
The main thing I have to remember is that this is a one day at a time program. What I have today and yesterday, may not be there tomorrow, unless I’m willing to go and get it. We have but a daily reprieve. Not just for the alcohol, but for those things which would tear down this way of life we’re trying to build and steal away what peace we have achieved. It’s in the steps.
But, the request that Francis made has a qualifier; he asks that he be made a channel of that peace. It would naturally follow in the order of the steps, that the twelfth step is us becoming that channel. We’re here to help others to give to them, what was so freely given to us. The solution. When I’m able to do that, I certa! inly have been rewarded with peace and serenity. And it becomes a way of life.
That’s all. Nothing big. Just this. Ned
Brings words and photos together (easily) with