Went to another meeting today in the basement of a church. When we opened the meeting, we could hear the services going on overhead in the church proper. They were having funeral services. We could hear the opening hymn. It was really quite touching, as the steps and the traditions were being read. But it was a reminder to me and I’m sure a whole lot of others.
It was an anniversary celebration down where we were. One man received a 52 year chip. Isn’t that something? Anyway we ended up, after the comments of the recipients, in a gratitude meeting. As opposed to what was going on in the church proper, we were celebrating life. Had it not been for AA, most of us would have been upstairs a long time ago. We are living life only because we were sober.
I was thinking how, by the simple application of our primary purpose, all of our lives have gone from the garbage heap to lives filled with meaning. There is so much for which we should be grateful. Nothing, which can be measured in terms of what we have gained from the world, but a whole lot which cannot really be measured in words. The stuff which has come to be a filling up from within. Sometimes to the overflowing.
Pluses which have resulted from things like self sacrifice. Putting aside our wants for the good of the whole. Who would have thought of that back in the bad old days? Who would look at spending time trying to help another gain their sobriety as a good thing back then. Who would have thought we would spend time talking or thinking about the grace of God a few years back. Simple acts of charity or compassion would never have entered my mind back then. Like one old friend once said to me, AA does not add years to my life, but it does add life to my years. But it has added years to my life. Of that there is no doubt in my mind.
Happiness is a sometime thing. It always comes from the right way of living. But, the joy of living is ever present. That comes from the mere reaching out my hand to the next guy or gal, who wants it.
There’s more. Much more. And it all comes from not reaching out and picking up that first drink. It comes from applying those twelve simple steps to my life on a daily basis. Today I know that nothing is worth a drink. A drink never solved anything. It made things worse. But neither I nor anyone else I know could have stayed away from a drink, if it hadn’t been for AA and the grace of God. Of that I am certain.
Anyway, I was thinking about that this afternoon.